TIME AND TIDE : PRECIS

MANY EXISTENTIAL challenges are staring us in the face. One such example is the rapid growth of AI. In my view, the real challenge will come in the shape of tech displacement or unemployment caused by automation.

One of the reasons is that experts repeatedly told us that artificial general intelligence [ AGI ], the kind you see in movies, is still far away. But something has changed in recent days.

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, believes AGI may materialise by 2025.

Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, which owns Claude, believes that human-level AGI may take a little longer. How long, you ask? Well, one or two years. This changes everything.

These people are working with some of the most powerful systems in the world. What they say goes.

By any reasonable estimate we will see rapid disappearance of jobs. Imagine that in a country and region with high unemployment rates. The developed world might have enough money to introduce measures as bold and universal basic income [UBI].

But South Asia does not have the wherewithal to do that. Granted, that India is richer than all countries in this region, but its wealth pales compared to unemployment and poverty among its citizens.

The World Students Society thanks Farrukh Khan Pitaffi.