Urgent: This is the most important TED talk you can watch. If you are concerned about AI–and you SHOULD be–Tristan Harris‘ brilliant and heartfelt 15-minute presentation offers the most clear and concise definition of the problem humanity faces regarding AI I have yet to hear. It also offers a detailed description of what we, as citizens, can do to help set society on a better path to a more desirable future. I encourage you to watch the video and then share it as widely as possible.
Thought Leadership: Every new solution creates a new problem. For example, 90 years ago at the height of the Great Depression, it would have been unimaginable to our great grandparents–for whom food scarcity was a real issue–that in the future one of America’s greatest health care issues would be obesity. It might have been even more unimaginable to them that the situation would grow so severe that society would eventually create a pill to help combat the issue, and yet this is precisely what has happened with Ozempic. In this same way, I am absolutely confident that advances in AI will soon help reduce and potentially eliminate many diseases in the near future. These wonderful advances will, however, create new problems. The easiest problem to forecast is the severe financial pressure that Social Security and Medicare will soon face as the average life expectancy of Americans increases. I am not suggesting that we seek to limit medical advances. I am suggesting that we must all begin thinking about how these systems must be reformed and updated to survive in the coming era of radical life extension.
Think Harder: Earlier this week, Duolingo–the language training company–announced it was moving to an “AI first” strategy. In theoretical terms, this means the company will begin asking if AI can do a better job than a human before hiring for that position. At a practical level, the company has announced that it will stop hiring contractor workers. The company goes on to say that the shift will not affect current employees, but this is a lie because in the same press release announcing the shift to AI, the company also acknowledged that AI will soon be “teaching as well as the best human tutor.” I sincerely wish I had better news for language tutors, but my professional opinion is that some (if not many) human tutors will soon be replaced by the company’s “AI first strategy.”
Think Smarter: ChatGPT AI is adding shopping features to compete with Google and Amazon. The update will allow users to easily view prices and reviews. This, in turn, will make finding, comparing, and purchasing products easier. As the use of AI grows more prevalent, expect additional AI companies to move into the retail space.
Think Bigger: Amazon launched its first satellites this week. While the company is well behind Starlink–its main competitor–in terms of the number of satellites launched to date, it hopes to eventually catch up. How this will all play out is still anyone’s guess, but enhanced competition should be welcome news for the hundreds of millions of people around the world who still don’t have Internet access or who are reluctant to use Starlink because of the political leanings of the company’s founder, Elon Musk.
Think Again: The idea of microchips in our brains sounds like a Black Mirror episode, but this reality is already here. The FDA has cleared Precision Neuroscience’s Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Implant. The FDA will allow the minimally invasive device for medical applications such as brain mapping during open surgery. Researchers at Georgia Tech have also developed a BCI that allows people to look up phone contacts and make calls hands-free. The way in which we interact with technology is rapidly advancing, and the idea that we could have widespread BCIs within 5 years is more likely than you may imagine. While this technology can lead to advances in understanding the brain and offer ease for those with mobility issues, it also brings up a number of questions–not the least of which is this: What might go wrong and what are the potential downsides of this technology?
Thoughts from Beyond: One year ago yesterday, I wrote this special message. Since that time, I have moved in the direction of my plans. I have started teaching a course at the College of Saint Benedict’s and Saint John’s University entitled “Forethought: Why Thinking About Tomorrow is Today’s Most Skill” and, yesterday, the class and I planted a dozen white pines to remind us of the importance of thinking long term. (The white pines are expected to survive 250 to 300 years into the future). I have also begun to work on a new book with Arctic Explorer Will Steger, exploring how society’s existing concepts and models of leadership may need to change if we are to successfully address the many challenges facing the world in the 21st century. (The project is still in its earliest stages.)
Afterthought: “Societies grow great when old men plant trees under whose shade they will never sit.”–Ancient Greek Proverb
