Technology storm and the role of man in a changing time

Man and technology - what does philosophy have to do with everything?

Soon you will be able to think of AI as an old friend who knows you really well and can make the perfect decisions for you.

- Peter Deng, Head of Product, Open AI

Open AI's launch of ChatGPT at the end of 2022 started conversations throughout society about AI's potential to fundamentally affect and change the vast majority of industries and professions. Last year the focus was on how AI can streamline and automate tasks, but in recent months the conversation has taken a new direction. The focus has shifted, from AI use in professional life to AI use in private contexts. AI will become a natural part of our lives in the future. For example, AI may affect how we learn and train, help us find new relationships and work with our personal development.

This year's edition of the giant international conference SXSW in Austin, Texas had many points about AI on its programme. A consistent theme was the relationship between man and technology. “Can AI Help Us Become More Human?”, “Using AI to Enhance Human Connection.. Not Replace It” and “AI and Humanity's Co-evolution” are some examples. The senders were tech giants such as Google, Meta and OpenAI. The common denominator between these program points was that they touched on philosophical, almost existential questions about the role of humans in an increasingly digital world, and which human qualities are most important to protect. Will artificial intelligence help us become the best version of ourselves, or will it rather make us lose who we really are? It is a question that remained unanswered during the conference, but which is important to think about in the future.

Technology storm - what happens when everything happens at the same time?

We believe we have entered a technology supercycle. This wave of innovation is so potent and pervasive that it promises to reshape the very fabric of our existence.– Amy Webb, Founder Future Today Institute

Right now, a number of important transformative technologies are being developed at high speed simultaneously. It is said that we are in a "super cycle", where above all AI, connected things (IoT, Internet of things) and biotechnology develop in parallel and also reinforce each other. The idea of an AI that is as intelligent as a human, a so-called AGI (Artificial General Intelligence)) may become a reality in the near future. The development is similar to that which generative AI models such as ChatGPT and Midjourney are undergoing right now. Instead of only being trained on text, the next generation models are trained on image, video, sound and sensory data such as temperature and air quality. Combined with algorithms that reason and plan, AI can gain unprecedented capabilities, which creates new opportunities but also challenges, such as Apple Vision Pro, is expected to rapidly change the way we interact with machines and our world around us.And when it comes to biotechnology, which includes the possibility of programming biological material, it will be possible to create new biological matter in consultation with an AI, on the same way we ask ChatGPT today for suggestions for tonight's dinner.

It is moving incredibly fast now, in many areas at the same time. And the more fundamental question this technology storm leads to is: What happens if we have not decided today how we want it to be tomorrow? In any case, one thing is certain. We have to start thinking more often and more strategically about the future and ask ourselves what we want and don't want the development to result in.

Was this thought provoking?

To delve deeper into this and hear about more signals, we recommend that you listen to the latest episode of Vinnova's podcast, where Annie Lindmark and Joakim Skog are guests.

On April 9, Foresight Morning was also held where additional perspectives were presented.
Watch the recording here!

The insights in this post are based on signals largely picked up at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference - one of the world's leading gathering places for innovation, communication, culture and transformation and a mecca for visionary work. Actors from all these areas gather for ten days in Austin and create a perfect place to listen to cross-disciplinary trends and make valuable contacts. Vinnova participated in March 2024, and arranged, among other things, an all-day event together with other Nordic countries under the name Nordics 2050.