“By 2035, the integration of AI into daily life will profoundly reshape human experience through increasingly sophisticated supernormal stimuli – artificial experiences engineered to trigger human psychological responses more intensely than natural ones. And, just as social media algorithms already exploit human attention mechanisms, future AI companions will offer relationships perfectly calibrated to individual psychological needs, potentially overshadowing authentic human connections that require compromise and effort.
Most concerning is the potential dampening of human drive and ambition. Why strive for difficult achievements when AI can provide simulated success and satisfaction? … The key challenge will be managing the seductive power of AI-driven supernormal stimuli while harnessing their benefits. Without careful development and regulation these artificial experiences could override natural human drives and relationships, fundamentally altering what it means to be human. This trajectory demands proactive governance to ensure AI enhances rather than diminishes human potential.
“These supernormal stimuli will extend beyond social relationships. AI-driven entertainment, virtual worlds and personalized content will provide peak experiences that make unaugmented reality feel dull by comparison. There are many more likely changes that are worrisome:
- “Virtual pets and AI human offspring may offer the emotional rewards of caregiving without the challenges of the real versions.
- “AI romantic partners will provide idealized relationships that make human partnerships seem unnecessarily difficult.
- “The workplace will be transformed as AI systems take over cognitive and creative tasks. This promises efficiency but risks reducing human agency, confidence and capability.
- “Economic participation will become increasingly controlled by AI platforms, potentially threatening individual autonomy in financial and social spheres.
- “Basic skills in arithmetic, navigation and memory are likely to be diminished through AI dependence.
- “But most concerning is the potential dampening of human drive and ambition – why strive for difficult achievements when AI can provide simulated success and satisfaction?
“Core human traits obviously face significant pressure from these developments. Human agency will be eroded as AI systems become increasingly adept at predicting and influencing behavior. However, positive outcomes remain possible through careful development focused on augmenting rather than replacing human capabilities.
“AI could enhance human self-understanding, augment creativity through collaboration and free people to focus on meaningful work beyond routine tasks. Success requires preserving human agency, authentic relationships and inclusive economic systems.
“The key challenge will be managing the seductive power of AI-driven supernormal stimuli while harnessing their benefits. Without careful development and regulation, these artificial experiences could override natural human drives and relationships, fundamentally altering what it means to be human.
“The impact on human nature isn’t inevitable but will be shaped by how we choose to develop and integrate AI into society. This trajectory demands proactive governance to ensure AI enhances rather than diminishes human potential. By 2035, the human experience will likely be radically transformed – the question is whether we can maintain our most essential human characteristics while benefiting from unprecedented technological capabilities.”
This essay was written in January 2025 in reply to the question: Over the next decade, what is likely to be the impact of AI advances on the experience of being human? How might the expanding interactions between humans and AI affect what many people view today as ‘core human traits and behaviors’? This and nearly 200 additional essay responses are included in the report “Being Human in 2035.”