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What Next? | Reclaiming the future from the algorithm

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Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping economies, societies and power structures yet much of the conversation has swung between uncritical optimism and existential fear. In this episode of What Next? We explore how leaders can reclaim agency over the future of AI, ensuring it serves human progress rather than narrow commercial or political interests. Vilas Dhar, President, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation; philanthropist, technologist and advocate for human-centred AI, in conversation with hosts Lindsay Hooper and Marc Kahn, argues that the real challenge is not whether AI will become uncontrollable (this is the realm of Sci-Fi), but whether societies can adapt quickly enough to its social, economic and cultural impacts. He makes the case for shifting the focus away from hype and dominance towards participation, institutional imagination and moral courage and for designing AI systems that restore human agency and democratic participation, while supporting inclusion and long-term resilience.
Chapters
  • 00:00 From Tech Optimism to a Vacuum of Meaning
  • 08:45 Power, Participation and the Social Contract
  • 18:45 Institutions, Markets and Shared Ownership
  • 29:30 Leadership, Moral Courage and a Participatory Future
18 Mar English South Africa Business · Investing

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