potentially avert each year<\/a> in the United States. But the rollout is proceeding relatively slowly, and it\u2019s unclear how significant A.I.\u2019s effects on other modes of transportation will be.<\/p>\nWhat will A.I.\u2019s impact be on education?<\/p>\n
![\"Carl](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Carl_Benedikt_Frey_cropped.png\")
<\/p>\n
Carl Benedikt Frey Economist<\/p>\n
A.I. tutors may already outperform most human teachers, but they also make shortcuts tempting and can hinder genuine exploration. We need to set aside A.I.-free time to read and explore independently, and encourage using A.I. tutors to question and probe one\u2019s own understanding.<\/p>\n
Moreover, we should place greater emphasis on in-person, tutorial-style teaching in which students debate, defend their views and are pushed to articulate their reasoning.<\/p>\n
![\"Gary](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Gary_Marcus_cropped.png\")
<\/p>\n
Gary Marcus Cognitive scientist<\/p>\n
Most of the impact has been negative; high schools and colleges are at a loss as to how to proceed now that term papers are no longer valid either as an evaluation or as a means to get students to think. Most other applications remain speculative.<\/p>\n
![\"Helen](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Helen_Toner_cropped.png\")
<\/p>\n
Helen Toner A.I. policy researcher<\/p>\n
Education was already due for a significant shake-up, so the need to adapt to new A.I. tools might be a blessing in disguise.<\/p>\n
What will A.I.\u2019s impact be on mental health?<\/p>\n
Frey Marcus Small ![\"Aravind](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Aravind_Srinivas_cropped.png\")
Srinivas Large ![\"Melanie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Melanie_Mitchell_cropped.png\")
<\/p>\n
Melanie Mitchell Computer scientist<\/p>\n
On the bad side: A.I.-induced psychosis! On the good side, some people will get a lot out of using chatbots as therapists.<\/p>\n
![\"Yuval](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Yuval_Noah_Harari_cropped.png\")
<\/p>\n
Yuval Noah Harari Historian<\/p>\n
The rapid changes of the A.I. revolution are likely to cause a mental health crisis as humans struggle to adapt. We are about to conduct the biggest psychological experiment in human history, on billions of human guinea pigs, and nobody can predict what the results will be.<\/p>\n
![\"Nick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Nick_Frosst_cropped.png\")
<\/p>\n
Nick Frosst Co-founder of Cohere<\/p>\n
A.I. chatbots offer scalable support for mild symptoms but they\u2019re no substitute for human therapists. The technology struggles with nuance, cultural context and long-term emotional depth. There are many mental health care challenges that should be handled by human professionals.<\/p>\n
What will A.I.\u2019s impact be on art and creativity?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Melanie Mitchell Computer scientist<\/p>\n
A.I. is, and will continue to be, transformative in art, writing, music, et cetera \u2014 not because A.I. is better at creativity than humans, but because it is a lot cheaper, and often that unfortunately matters more for how much it will be used.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Yuval Noah Harari Historian<\/p>\n
In more and more fields, A.I. proves to be more creative than humans. Any creative activity that boils down to finding patterns and breaking patterns is likely to be taken over by A.I.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nick Frosst Co-founder of Cohere<\/p>\n
As both a musician and someone building A.I., I see the creative potential of this technology through a unique lens. A.I. can generate feedback or thought-starters, but it\u2019s the human who decides what feels right.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s one misconception about A.I. that you think is worth dispelling?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Melanie Mitchell Computer scientist<\/p>\n
The misconception that A.I. has \u201cmagic\u201d or \u201cemergent\u201d abilities that are impossible to understand and predict. This is mainly a view of the public (and policymakers, to some extent). Technologists and Silicon Valley often push this narrative but I don\u2019t know how much they really believe it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Yuval Noah Harari Historian<\/p>\n
A.I. isn\u2019t a tool entirely under human control \u2014 it is an agent that can make decisions and invent ideas by itself. While I don\u2019t think A.I. will become conscious in the near future, it is highly likely these models will be able to simulate consciousness very effectively, causing a significant percentage of humanity to believe they are conscious.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Carl Benedikt Frey Economist<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a mistake to assume A.I. will leave manual work untouched. In practice, A.I. systems are lowering knowledge barriers and enabling competent do-it-yourself repairs. A homeowner can photograph a worn washer or boiler, receive a parts list, and follow a clear, step-by-step guide to replace it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Gary Marcus Cognitive scientist<\/p>\n
People are greatly confused about large language models, attributing a humanlike intelligence to mimicry machines that turn out to be superficial and unreliable. Intelligence is about reasoning flexibly in face of the unknown, and large language models continue to struggle mightily with that.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nick Frosst Co-founder of Cohere<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a misconception that A.I. is autonomous. Today\u2019s systems are sophisticated pattern-matchers, not thinkers.<\/p>\n
![\"Ajeya](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Ajeya_Cotra_cropped.png\")
<\/p>\n
Ajeya Cotra A.I. risk researcher<\/p>\n
Whenever the latest generation of A.I. fails to make an enormous impact immediately, A.I. skeptics wrongly assume that this disproves the concerns about A.I.\u2019s catastrophic risks.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Aravind Srinivas Chief executive of Perplexity<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a misconception that A.I. will result in vast unemployment. New technologies sometimes shift the nature of work in society, but they don\u2019t remove working from society.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Helen Toner A.I. policy researcher<\/p>\n
I believe the narrative around A.I.\u2019s negative environmental impacts has gotten way out of hand. Yes, on aggregate the industry uses quite a bit of energy and water, but that\u2019s true of any large industry. The relevant question is how it compares to other industries, and how it compares to how much value we\u2019re getting out of it.<\/p>\n
Which of the following statements do you think will be true by 2030?<\/p>\n
\u201cUnemployment in the United States will have increased significantly as a result of A.I.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus True <\/p>\n
\u201cA.I. will have led to a breakthrough treatment or cure for a major disease.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mitchell Frosst Cotra False <\/p>\n
\u201cA.I. will have played a role in a major global security event.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cotra Srinivas False <\/p>\n
\u201cMost Americans will be using A.I. chatbots at least once a day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Srinivas False <\/p>\n
Most people define artificial general intelligence as a form of A.I. that is comparable to human intelligence. How likely is it that we will see A.G.I. in the next 10 years?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Yuval Noah Harari Historian<\/p>\n
Everything hinges on the definition. I think that defining A.G.I. as \u201ccomparable to human intelligence\u201d is meaningless. It is like defining airplanes as \u201cable to fly like birds.\u201d Similarly, by 2035 A.I. intelligence will be far superior to humans in some ways, and much inferior in other ways. There is no reason to expect that A.I. will progress toward the goal of \u201chuman intelligence.\u201d<\/p>\n
But A.I. will be capable of navigating systems like finance and the law better than the average human, and will also be able to outperform humans in war making and in inventing and interpreting religious mythologies.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nick Frosst Co-founder of Cohere<\/p>\n
A.G.I. requires abstraction, self-awareness and transfer learning across domains \u2014 all capabilities that are nowhere near. The architecture of the human brain is still a black box, and computing paradigms aren\u2019t designed for it. Possible in 50 years? Maybe. In 10? Unlikely.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Aravind Srinivas Chief executive of Perplexity<\/p>\n
A.G.I. is still poorly defined. So we don\u2019t think about it much.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s a technology that had a transformational impact similar to A.I.?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Melanie Mitchell Computer scientist<\/p>\n
Social media.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Yuval Noah Harari Historian<\/p>\n
The evolution of language in the Stone Age. A.I. is the first technology that is an agent rather than a tool. And A.I. is the first entity on the planet that is going to master language better than humans, and in that way gain control of all language-based systems humans have created since the Stone Age, from finance to religion.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Carl Benedikt Frey Economist<\/p>\n
The personal computer and the internet.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Gary Marcus Cognitive scientist<\/p>\n
A.I. will be as ubiquitous as cellphones, but so far comes with more negatives.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nick Frosst Co-founder of Cohere<\/p>\n
Human flight \u2014 especially when you think about A.G.I. Flight has been profoundly transformative for humans and how we live, the same way A.I. has \u2014 but the same way artificial flight doesn\u2019t really mimic birds, artificial intelligence \u201cbrains\u201d don\u2019t work in the same way human intelligence does.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ajeya Cotra A.I. risk researcher<\/p>\n
I think A.I. will eventually be more transformative than the invention of agriculture \u2014 as transformative as the emergence of Homo sapiens as a species.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Aravind Srinivas Chief executive of Perplexity<\/p>\n
There is nothing like it. We have no precedent. A.I. is best as a tool that empowers the human search for wisdom. History is full of such tools, but what makes A.I. unique is its ability to contain so many answers about the world right here around us.<\/p>\n
In the short term, many of the world\u2019s answers are locked away in certain industries, or only passed among elites. A.I. changes that.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Helen Toner A.I. policy researcher<\/p>\n
The steam engine.<\/p>\n
What advice would you give a high school student about how to think about A.I. and prepare for the future?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Melanie Mitchell Computer scientist<\/p>\n
Learn about how these systems work, what their limitations are, and how to use them to help you do things rather than do them for you. Don\u2019t use them to do your homework!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Carl Benedikt Frey Economist<\/p>\n
As automated writing becomes ubiquitous, face-to-face skill will be a key differentiator. Choose careers defined by change, where human interaction and experiential learning confer the edge.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Gary Marcus Cognitive scientist<\/p>\n
Creativity and critical thinking skills will always be in demand.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nick Frosst Co-founder of Cohere<\/p>\n
Learn to collaborate with A.I. Study fields that combine technical literacy with skills that only humans can do.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ajeya Cotra A.I. risk researcher<\/p>\n
Think of A.I. as the emergence of an intelligent alien species. This new species could be catastrophic for humanity, including driving us extinct. It could also go extremely well for us, but you should be prepared for the good outcomes to be very wild. This is the central challenge of your generation, and you should try to find a way to help it go better.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Aravind Srinivas Chief executive of Perplexity<\/p>\n
Learn how to ask more questions. Nothing will matter more in the age of A.I.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Helen Toner A.I. policy researcher<\/p>\n
For anything you might work on, ask yourself: Is this like a construction site, or like the gym? On a construction site, machines are amazing \u2014 you can lift heavier things and build better buildings with an excavator and a crane. But at the gym, the whole point is to increase your own capacity.<\/p>\n
With A.I., the analogy is that we now all need to figure out where A.I. can help us do bigger, cooler things, like building personalized software, and where we need to build our own cognitive abilities first, like learning to write.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Yuval Noah Harari Historian<\/p>\n
This is the first time in history nobody has any idea what the world will look like in 10 years \u2014 what the job market will look like, what social relations will look like, et cetera. So hedge your bets. Don\u2019t focus on a narrow subject like coding. Give equal importance to your head (intellectual skills), your heart (social skills) and your hands (motor skills). It is in the combination of these three that humans still have a large advantage over A.I.<\/p>\n
Also, try to enjoy the ride.<\/p>\n
Note: The New York Times has sued<\/a> Perplexity for copyright infringement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"People have been working on artificial intelligence for decades. But five years ago, few were predicting that A.I.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":263869,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[365,363,364,58648,10408,150905,111,139,69,145],"class_list":{"0":"post-263868","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-artificial-intelligence","8":"tag-ai","9":"tag-artificial-intelligence","10":"tag-artificialintelligence","11":"tag-computers-and-the-internet","12":"tag-creativity","13":"tag-language-and-languages","14":"tag-new-zealand","15":"tag-newzealand","16":"tag-nz","17":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=263868"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263868\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/263869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=263868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=263868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=263868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}