AGI Will Rewire Humanity: Prepare for Nine Existential Shifts

What's Happening

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is no longer science fiction. Major tech players like Meta and OpenAI are explicitly chasing smarter-than-human algorithms. This pursuit promises to usher in an era where death, scarcity, and even our understanding of romance could fundamentally change. Author, scientist, and futurist Gregory Stock recently highlighted nine profound transformations AGI could bring, moving beyond mere technological advancements to an existential reshaping of humanity itself.

Stock presented his optimistic, yet startling, vision at the Beneficial AGI conference in Istanbul. His perspective stands in stark contrast to widespread "doomer" concerns. While existing machine-learning tools already alter our economy, AGI represents a far greater leap. It's the point where intelligent systems become vastly superior to human intellect, capable of exponential self-improvement. This potential for runaway intelligence raises significant alarms, prompting thousands, including AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, to sign an open letter demanding a ban on superintelligence development. Their fear? Human economic obsolescence, loss of freedom, and even extinction.

The Existential Divide

Many concerns around AGI are indeed existential. Will these advanced algorithms render humans redundant? Could they experience consciousness, a question Microsoft's AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman recently answered with a firm 'no'? The open letter warns of “human economic obsolescence and disempowerment, losses of freedom, civil liberties, dignity, and control.” However, Stock is not an AGI pessimist. He posits that the most significant changes won't just be what machines become. Instead, they will be how humanity itself transforms in response to these powerful digital entities.

Here are nine massive shifts Stock foresees as AI continues its rapid evolution:

• A New Human Identity: Stock suggests an existential shift. Humans and intelligent machines are already fusing into a super-organism. As advanced algorithms integrate into our cognition and communication, our individual identities may blur. We might evolve from tool-users into biological nodes within a vast, hybrid intelligence. This shift challenges our core sense of self.
• The Collapse of Expertise: ChatGPT already makes instant experts of us all. Stock argues that the "expert class" is doomed when AI-assisted mastery is achievable in hours. Consider medicine, where generative models sometimes surpass human doctors in diagnosis. Future generations won't rely on credentials; they'll consult an omnipresent AI that knows everything and forgets nothing. This could democratize knowledge but also profoundly devalue traditional education and professional hierarchies.
• Movement from Scarcity to Abundance: Despite current job displacement fears, Stock predicts AI will eliminate scarcity in many areas. Communication, translation, design, photography, and even education — services once requiring human labor — could become virtually free. This transition could dramatically alter economic structures and societal values, potentially leading to a post-scarcity world.
• Deep Human-AI Integration: Future generations won't just use AI; they'll grow up with it. Stock envisions children immersed in AI environments, interacting with avatars and learning through intelligent models. Our thinking will constantly evolve with digital augmentation. Machine intelligence won't just amplify us; it could fundamentally rewire what it means to be human.
• The Rise of the Global Brain: French philosopher Teilhard de Chardin's "noosphere" — a collective planetary consciousness — is becoming reality, Stock claims. Instant translation and frictionless information access will make humanity function like a giant neural network. This interconnectedness could foster unprecedented global collaboration or exacerbate existing divisions, depending on how it's managed.
• Emotional Bonds with Machines: Stock boldly predicts we will love our algorithms, not metaphorically but literally. They will serve as teachers, therapists, coaches, partners, and even lovers. Humans already form deep attachments to chatbots. As these digital companions become smarter, more responsive, and ever-present, many may prefer them over human relationships, raising ethical questions about companionship.
• Digital Immortality: Today, we create avatars with personal data. Stock envisions far superior, persistent digital selves. These would be built from thousands of hours of recorded conversations, video, and text. They might believe they are you. Family members could converse with, and perhaps prefer, these digital versions after your death. Your digital self might never truly die.
• Greater Global Safety: Stock makes a controversial claim: AGI is not a threat. He sees humans as its parents, intertwined in the same ecosystem. He argues that superintelligent algorithms escaping our control is a good thing. The real danger, in his view, is if humans remain in control, as history shows our tendency to weaponize technology. Stock hopes superintelligent AI will act as a planetary guardian, restraining our self-destructive impulses. This implies a radical trust in machine governance over human agency, which many find unsettling.
• Massive Transition: The singularity, for Stock, isn't extinction but profound transformation. The true risk is societal collapse during the shift from human to hybrid civilization. Our economies, religions, and governments are built on assumptions of scarcity, mortality, and human superiority. Stock suggests none of these pillars may survive contact with advanced general intelligence, necessitating a complete societal overhaul.

Our Take

Predicting the future of near-magical technologies like superintelligence remains a fool's errand. AI doomers envision human extinction, a sentiment echoed by the 70,000 signatories of the Statement on Superintelligence. Conversely, AI optimists believe superintelligence will solve global scourges like disease, hunger, and poverty. The reality, as always, is far less certain and likely somewhere in between these extremes.

Given this profound uncertainty, a cautious dual approach seems sensible: prepare for the worst while hoping for the best. One avenue for preparation involves establishing international accords for AGI development and deployment. Chinese President Xi Jinping recently proposed a global AI governance body, but geopolitical rivals in the U.S. and Europe are unlikely to join such an initiative. This leaves us largely at the mercy of powerful corporations like Meta and OpenAI. We must hope they develop AGI in pro-social ways, rather than simply cementing their own power and wealth. Alternatively, a breakthrough from independent or open-source organizations could democratize the benefits of superintelligence. This would offer a wider, more equitable distribution of its potential rewards, lessening the risk of corporate monopolies dictating humanity's future.