Do you remember that feeling back in 2005, playing Empire Earth-the game everyone in the neighborhood was obsessed with? Hidden beside your bulky desktop monitor was a tiny note reading "iamgod." The moment you entered it, god mode was activated. For about five minutes, you reveled in invincibility. But soon, the game became dull. The thrill was gone, and you craved the genuine challenge of playing without cheats. So, you reset to normal mode, eager to earn our victories the hard way.
Fast forward to today, and life feels similar. With the advent of advanced AI like ChatGPT, tasks that once brought joy and a sense of accomplishment are now automated. Coding, for instance, was a gradual journey filled with problem-solving and creativity. Each line of code, each bug fixed, was a small triumph. Now, AI can generate entire applications-20,000 lines of code complete with testing-in mere minutes. The thrill of overcoming coding challenges is gone. Programming, as we knew it even a year ago, has transformed irrevocably. There's no going back; we can't unlearn what we've discovered. Instead, we must adapt and build upon this new reality.
In the next two years, programming will evolve even further. Fields like electrical engineering will likely follow suit, and professions will be reshaped one after another like falling dominoes. The further a field is from AI's core, the longer it may take to transform, but change is inevitable.
What's more concerning is how society seems blissfully unaware of the magnitude of this shift. AI and companies like OpenAI are frequently in the news, but there's a stark difference between recognition and true understanding. Many view this as just another technological trend-akin to the transition from 2G to 3G or the dot-com boom. But the scale here is profoundly different. It's like comparing the explosion of a stick of dynamite to that of a thermonuclear bomb; the difference in impact is orders of magnitude apart.
Traditional enterprises, especially those on the periphery of AI, remain clueless. But soon, the veil will lift. People will awaken as if from a dream, suddenly realizing the world has fundamentally changed. Common knowledge will become accepted wisdom. Even those who were skeptical-like our own mother-will grasp the significance. The blindfold will be lifted, and there will be a collective reckoning: "What happened? How did we get here?"
As I write this, I feel an anxious excitement. I'm thrilled about what's coming but also regretful for past inaction. I had the opportunity to delve into AI back in 2017-I still remember taking Andrew Ng's course on Coursera. Yet, I was demotivated by the hype and didn't pursue it further. I can't afford to miss this wave again because, in truth, it's just the beginning. There's still time to make a difference, to be part of this transformative era. The future is ours to shape.
Human psychology remains constant even as times change. My prediction is that by 2075, humanity will long for the "no cheat" mode once more. The past without AI will be told as ancient tales to our grandchildren. Artificial General Intelligence will be ubiquitous, embedded in every facet of life. We'll see AI integrated into areas like:
- ai and foundational technologies
- computing devices
- neural computing
- semiconductor design
- chip manufacturing
- ai and infrastructure
- energy
- ai and knowledge
- science
- space exploration
- learning and education
- ai and security & defence
- ai and society & governance
- government affairs
- politics
- economics
- law
- society
- relationships
- ai(*)
With AGI permeating every aspect of life, what will be left for us? Perhaps it will free us to focus on what truly matters: our relationships, our communities, and the essence of being human. Maybe we'll rediscover joy in the challenges that can't be automated-the complexities of human emotion, the beauty of nature, the pursuit of wisdom.
We'll harness AI to enhance our lives without losing sight of our humanity. Remember the lesson from that game back in 2005: when everything becomes too easy, the challenge-and with it, the joy-disappears. Perhaps the future will compel us to seek new challenges, to redefine purpose in a world where possibilities are limitless-space exploration, colonization of Mars, groundbreaking inventions, infinite computing power, limitless resources.
So here's to embracing the future with optimism and a willingness to adapt. Let's build a world where technology amplifies humanity rather than diminishes it. The future is ours to create. The future is yours.