Preparing for a future of generative AI

1. Preparing for a future of generative AI

Let's discuss how human societies may change as we adapt to generative AI.

2. Increasing human potential

Generative AI has the potential to enhance what each human can do. Using the potential of generative AI for augmentation, co-creation and replacement, we can vastly increase our output. An individual doctor can do as much background research for a diagnosis as a complete hospital team could with the same amount of effort. A small game developer of 30 people might be able to match the quality of larger game developers with teams of 300 or more.

3. Impact will not be evenly distributed

Generative AI's impacts will not be evenly distributed. Disparities still exist for broadband internet, and many generative AI tools require such access. This AI divide means that more affluent individuals and nations will benefit disproportionately from generative AI in the near term. The culture of an organization will impact how well it can adopt AI practices. Is the organization resistant or open to change? How well can big and log organizations incorporate AI practices vs small and agile companies? The future will tell. But access alone is not enough. Knowledge of how to use the technology, known as AI Literacy, is also required to thrive in the new world of generative AI. Proper training can help bridge this gap.

4. The Future of work

Frequently, there are new articles claiming how AI might upend jobs and education. As we learned previously, AI's impact is not simply replacement. Augmentation and co-creation will also bring benefits. Instead of completing complicated but redundant tasks alone, workers will seek the help of a partner AI so they can do more and better. In the days before computers, human calculators completed large mathematical operations by hand. In the 60's specifically, NASA had human calculators working on extremely complex calculations for various space missions. Those people did not simply lose their jobs. Instead, many learned how to operate computers and became more effective. Just as economies adapted to ubiquitous personal computing, we will again need to adapt to generative AI.

5. Society and education

Education systems will also be reshaped around always-on access to AI. Instead of memorizing facts, students will learn how to better reason and think critically about the information they are given. Successfully collaborating with generative AI will help them to get further in their studies. This will require major adaptation. Governments and companies that wish to thrive in the new era will need to help their citizens or employees close the "AI divide". This may include rethinking classical learning paths and setting up reskill programs to prepare individuals for a new future.

6. Media and entertainment

In media and entertainment, generative AI tools are unleashing a creative explosion. Previously human-intensive writing, design, and other tasks can be completed much more quickly. Generative AI can also personalize media on a massive scale. This paradigm will require new ways to verify what is real, as it becomes impossible to distinguish. Fake media is becoming more and more prevalent, and it will be harder to distinguish deepfakes from real images.

7. Research and innovation breakthroughs

We'll also see faster fundamental discoveries and technology transfer, as AI can speed up many functions across science and engineering. The protein folding problem kept researchers and academics busy for 50 years. Deepmind's Alphafold, on the contrary, was able to complete certain research breakthroughs in protein folding tasks in hours that previously would have taken years.

8. Human computer interaction

But without human computer interaction, we can't get the most out of AI. The AI will still require humans to have independent ideas and direct its work with prompts. As generative AI advances far enough, human values will also need to adjust to having a new intelligence around. Will working with AI be as normal as having a smartphone? Note the first generation of the IPhone was released in 2007. Time will tell, and we as a society will confront this and other questions as we grapple with the role generative AI plays in our society.

9. Let's practice!

Time for some exercises!

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