AI and Humanism: An important Keynote on Balancing Technology and Humanity (AIVolution Lisbon, Gerd Leonhard)

In this talk, edited and updated from my AIVolution 2024 keynote in Lisbon, I explain how and why #artificialintelligence increasingly mimics and SIMULATES being human, and why the distinction between HI and AI matters. Simulation of existence is not the same as existence. Intelligence is not consciousness.

Trust isn't digital. I think AI is the biggest economic and societal shift in the past 100 years, and that we must urgently avoid repeating the colossal fossil fuel-era mistake of simply chasing profits while ignoring almost all side effects. Yes, AI is a unique power tool that could (will) boost learning, productivity, research and healthcare, but also brings deep and increasingly existential risks, from fraud and misinformation to autonomous weapons, and the overall loss of human control. 

I distinguish mere “intelligent assistance” (IA) from dangerous ambitions for general machine intelligence (AGI), calling for human-centered leadership, education that teaches “learning to learn,” strong but wise regulation, and keeping humans in the loop to build a good future focused on people, planet, purpose, and prosperity. 

 

TIME CODES 00:00 AI Is Not Human 00:38 Lessons From Industrial Age 02:30 AI As Power Tool 03:23 Learning On Demand 03:50 Deepfakes And Risk 05:14 Meaning Over Data 07:19 Three Revolutions Ahead 09:05 Purpose And Sustainability Shift 13:09 Intelligent Assistance Era 15:12 Against General AI 17:16 Defining Machine Knowledge 20:01 Tacit Knowledge Limits 20:22 Tacit vs Explicit 20:55 From Routine to Experience 21:28 AI Assistants and Humanoids 22:48 Leadership Needs Humanity 23:54 Sci-Fi Myths and Reality 25:20 Who Controls AI 27:23 Automation Reality Check 31:19 Effort Makes It Real 32:56 Rebooting Economic Logic 34:00 Future Mindset and Leadership 36:11 Human in the Loop 37:05 Thanks and Wrap Up

TIME CODES

00:00 AI Is Not Human 00:38 Lessons From Industrial Age 02:30 AI As Power Tool 03:23 Learning On Demand 03:50 Deepfakes And Risk 05:14 Meaning Over Data 07:19 Three Revolutions Ahead 09:05 Purpose And Sustainability Shift 13:09 Intelligent Assistance Era 15:12 Against General AI 17:16 Defining Machine Knowledge 20:01 Tacit Knowledge Limits 20:22 Tacit vs Explicit 20:55 From Routine to Experience 21:28 AI Assistants and Humanoids 22:48 Leadership Needs Humanity 23:54 Sci-Fi Myths and Reality 25:20 Who Controls AI 27:23 Automation Reality Check 31:19 Effort Makes It Real 32:56 Rebooting Economic Logic 34:00 Future Mindset and Leadership 36:11 Human in the Loop 37:05 Thanks and Wrap Up