In the coming decades, humanity will achieve advancements that would have seemed like magic to previous generations. This is part of an ongoing trend where society’s infrastructure, not individual intelligence, has grown smarter and more capable over time. Our grandparents contributed to the progress we now benefit from, and artificial intelligence (AI) will accelerate this even further. AI will provide tools to solve complex problems, allowing us to build upon this progress and enable future generations to accomplish things we can't even imagine today.
While these changes will happen gradually, AI will soon help individuals and teams achieve far more than they could alone, whether through personal AI assistants or virtual tutors that can offer customized education. AI’s potential extends to improved healthcare, software creation, and many other areas. This newfound capability could lead to shared prosperity, making life better for everyone, though prosperity alone doesn’t guarantee happiness.
A narrow view of human history reveals that after centuries of scientific discovery, we’ve learned to harness the power of computing—transforming sand into chips that can now run AI. This development may prove to be one of the most consequential moments in history. The key driver behind this leap is deep learning, which has consistently improved with greater computational power and data.
AI will eventually handle many tasks autonomously, such as coordinating healthcare, and will help us create better systems and advance scientific progress. The transition from the Stone Age to the Industrial Age is now leading us toward the Intelligence Age, fueled by computing power, energy, and human ambition. However, to make AI widely accessible, we need to lower the cost of computing infrastructure and prevent it from becoming a resource monopolized by the wealthy.
While the Intelligence Age will bring enormous benefits, it also presents significant risks and challenges. We must act with both wisdom and urgency to navigate these complexities. The future will be brighter than we can currently imagine, and extraordinary achievements—like solving climate change and making space colonies a reality—may eventually become routine.
As with any major technological shift, there will be downsides. For instance, AI could disrupt labor markets, but most jobs will change slowly, and humans’ desire to create and contribute will persist. AI will enhance our abilities and help us focus on positive-sum endeavors. Just as past occupations now seem outdated, future generations will look back at today’s jobs as relics of a simpler time, marveling at the unimaginable prosperity of their world.