The phrase “the future is now” was all the rage back in the day. Little did we know that was just the tip of the iceberg. With the rapid pace of technological, cultural, and scientific advancements, it’s like trying to read a map with a constantly shifting layout. We’re WIRED, and we’re obsessed with what’s next. We’ve always been driven to tell stories that don’t just explain what’s coming, but also shape it. That’s why we’ve launched a new tagline: For Future Reference. It reflects our commitment to covering the most important topics and figuring out how to make them better.
Recently, we gathered a group of thought leaders and students who’ve grown up surrounded by the technologies that are about to disrupt their lives. We chatted about artificial intelligence, but also touched on culture, tech, and politics. It was like taking a temperature of how people think about the future today – and maybe even getting a glimpse of where we’re headed.
AI is everywhere, all the time. It’s like Google was back in the day (remember when we thought that was the future?). People use it for everything from mundane tasks to complex questions. Take Angel Tramontin, a student at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business – she uses large language models to answer questions throughout the day. Then there’s Daniela Amodei, Anthropic’s cofounder and president, who’s even using AI to help with her kids’ health issues (although she admits it might not be the most reliable source).
Even directors like Jon M. Chu are turning to AI for advice on their kids’ health – although he admits it might not be the most reliable source. AI companies are eyeing healthcare as a major growth area, and OpenAI just launched ChatGPT Health, which is reportedly getting hundreds of millions of users per week (with additional privacy measures, of course).
Not everyone we spoke to was as enthusiastic, though. Sienna Villalobos, a UC Berkeley undergraduate, is cautious about relying too heavily on AI. She thinks it’s best to make your own decisions and not rely on an algorithm. That view might be becoming less common, though – according to a Pew Research study, almost two-thirds of US teenagers use chatbots, and about 3 in 10 report using it daily.
Able to Launch?
The pace of AI growth and deployment is relentless, despite concerns about its potential impacts on mental health, the environment, and society at large. In the absence of regulatory guardrails, companies are largely left to self-police. So what questions should AI firms ask themselves before each launch?
“‘What might go wrong?’ is a really good and essential question that I wish more companies would ask,” says Mike Masnick, founder of the tech and policy news site Techdirt.
As we look to the future, it’s essential that we grapple with the implications of AI and other emerging technologies. At WIRED, we’re committed to covering the topics that matter most – and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
