COMMENT COMMENT
Who’s Paying?
UC
Sam Altman, CEO at OpenAI, premised in one of his most recent blogs, “The Gentle Singularity” that we are at the beginning of an exponential curve, and the next decade will bring rapid, disruptive advances in AI and robotics as well as major societal challenges. 2025: Arrival of AI Agents for “real cognitive work”, such as advanced code writing, and AI becomes a creative and productive partner. 2026: Systems
predicts some people will continue to live “in much the same way”, assuming this refers to 2025, whilst others may have chosen deeper integration with technology, deciding to “plug in”. Sam also predicts that “whole classes of jobs” are going away, and society will simultaneously adapt to a world where intelligence becomes “too cheap to meter”, and we will figure out new things to do and new things to want, and assimilate new tools quickly. What most people want are love and connection, significance, certainty,
generate new ideas and insights independently, going beyond automating existing tasks. 2027: Robotics
Trish Stevens Guest Editor
and growth, pretty much the core needs that drive human behaviour across
Revolution with robots capable of performing tasks in the physical world, and could be operating in supply chains, factories, and data centres. 2030s: Era of abundant intelligence (via AI) and energy, where both are predicted to become abundant and cheap. The cost of intelligence may approach the cost of electricity, with mass production of both digital and robotic agents. 2035 Beyond: Exponential breakthroughs and scientific advances in areas such as high-energy physics, materials science, medicine, and brain- computer interfaces. By this stage, Sam
cultures and backgrounds. Humans crave feeling important, valued, and having a sense of purpose in life, with accomplishments and recognition, or contributing to something larger than oneself. Additionally, humans need a sense of security and stability to feel safe, both physically and emotionally, and have some predictability in life, and most want to feel in control of or have influence over their lives and choices. So, are you going to live in much the same way, or “plug in”, and if you are, who’s paying?
See the 2025 Nominations and Sponsors
ucadvanced.com
05
Powered by FlippingBook