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You know that artificial intelligence has gone mainstream when Oprah Winfrey weighs in with a special on the topic. Her primetime event, “AI and the Future of Us: An Oprah Winfrey Special,” will air Thursday on ABC, and promises to explore the profound impact of AI and help viewers “navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape.”
As a futurist, I welcome focus on the broader impacts of the approaching “singularity” moment, when machines will become as smart as humans. (The futurist Ray Kurzweil predicts this will occur in 2029.)
Winfrey’s special will feature interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in AI, and fortunately, some of its toughest critics. Sam Altman, CEO of Open AI, explains how AI works in layman’s terms, and his vision for how AI might benefit humankind. Altman will also discuss “the immense personal responsibility that the executives of AI companies must bear” but this is where I’m hoping Oprah takes him to task. At present the technology is largely unregulated, and AI company leaders must weigh the profit motive against safety concerns.
Microsoft Co-Founder and Chair of the Gates Foundation Bill Gates will lay out the AI revolution coming in science, health, and education. And Gates will warn of the impact AI may have on the workforce and job creation.
McKinsey estimates that 30 percent of the world’s workforce will lose their job to AI within 7 years. And 400 to 800 million people will lose their jobs due to AI by 2030, which means in the worst-case scenario a third of the world’s workforce will lose their livelihoods.
Winfrey will also focus on the impact of AI on humanity, as humans and machines begin to merge. She’ll interview novelist and essayist Marilynne Robinson who has previously expressed deep ethical and philosophical concerns about artificial intelligence.
Robinson is wary of the dehumanizing potential of AI, suggesting that it risks undermining the complexity and dignity of human consciousness. She warns against the uncritical embrace of AI, emphasizing that it could exacerbate societal inequalities, compromise individual autonomy, and erode moral and spiritual values.
Robinson often points out that the fascination with AI reveals a kind of technological hubris—a misplaced confidence that machines can replicate or even surpass human wisdom. Her work suggests a need for humility and a broader, more thoughtful engagement with AI, and prioritizing humanistic values over mere efficiency.
Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin, co-founders of the Center for Humane Technology, will add to Robinson’s cautionary message. One of the main risks they have discussed in prior interviews is how AI systems, driven by large language models and recommendation algorithms, can manipulate human behavior on a massive scale. This includes influencing public opinion, spreading misinformation, and even nudging people toward specific actions without their awareness. As AI systems become more advanced, they could exert even greater control over our choices, reducing human agency and potentially undermining democratic processes.
I’m also looking forward to hearing from FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose testimony before Congress reveals the terrifying ways criminals and foreign adversaries are using AI. Wray has highlighted several extreme ways in which criminals and foreign adversaries are exploiting AI, emphasizing the growing threat to national security, public safety, and economic stability.
One of the most alarming uses of AI involves the creation of hyper-realistic deepfakes—manipulated audio, video, or images that can convincingly portray individuals saying or doing things they never did. These are being used to spread disinformation, manipulate public opinion, and even blackmail individuals. Foreign adversaries use these technologies to sow discord, interfere in elections, and damage reputations, making it increasingly difficult for the public to discern what is real.
AI is being leveraged by criminals and state actors to enhance cyberattacks, making them more sophisticated and harder to detect. This includes AI-driven phishing schemes that craft highly personalized and convincing messages, automated hacking tools that exploit vulnerabilities at scale, and AI bots that can conduct surveillance, data exfiltration, and launch ransomware attacks autonomously. These tools enable attackers to breach systems more effectively and efficiently, posing a severe threat to critical infrastructure, businesses, and government agencies.
Clearly humanity is entering uncharted waters. The next decade, as we cross the Singularity moment when machines will be smarter than humans, will be fraught with opportunities, threats and surprises. “AI and the Future of Us: An Oprah Winfrey Special” provides a serious, entertaining and meaningful way for us to be part of one of the most important global conversations of the 21st century.