As AI and other exponential technologies take off, we are essentially building a new human civilization. The question is: will it be human? And will it be civilized?
Technology is advancing faster than people are. In the gap between what’s being built and who’s keeping up, there is enormous potential for social upheaval. People don’t just suffer economically when they get left behind. They also lose purpose. People without purpose are unpredictable in ways that could be dangerous for everyone.
The industrial civilization we’re replacing already left a lot of people out. We cannot afford to make that same mistake — especially not at this scale and this speed.
There are overlooked communities full of genius, grit and creativity. They also have enormous problems. And as my friend Peter Diamandis reminds us, the biggest problems create the opportunity to build the biggest solutions.
Nothing good happens for poor and marginalized people by accident. We need intention and strategy. We need an entirely new category of technology that protects dignity and provides stability.
If we put the most advanced creative tools in the hands of people who need to build a new future for themselves, we could build something that closes the gap instead of widening it.
