“Artificial Intelligence algorithms already intermediate a significant amount of our lives, in activities ranging from our information consumption to our purchasing activities. Every Instagram post and every Amazon transaction is guided by machine learning and AI. And because of their flexibility and adaptability, generative AI algorithms will become far more ubiquitous in our work and our lives going forward, not just in these kinds of interactions, but increasingly defining what we see, how we learn, how our work is performed and how we interact with each other. Think of the prior layers of technology infrastructure – computers, operating systems, applications and the Internet to knit them together. To access much of the information we consume, we have adopted apps and web browsers for humans and APIs (application program interfaces) for machines. Now picture GenAI as another layer on top of the existing stack, providing access to the world’s information.
As rapidly as within the next 10 years, our apps and web browsers will increasingly communicate directly with technologies powered by GenAI. There will be many positive outcomes – but also many challenges we must overcome. Examples include:
- “GenAI software will increasingly automate more and more of our tasks in any information-intensive work.
- “Software agents will perform an increasing amount of our information access and our transactions, doing our bidding to retrieve and process information. We won’t search travel sites: We will describe our vacation to a GenAI program, which will act as a virtual travel agent to assemble the elements of a trip and negotiate pricing on our behalf.
- “As software agents increasingly gather information for us, the Internet will simply become a vast network of databases, and the need for traditional websites will decay. If a human wants to see information displayed in that context, agents will be able to construct websites in real time.
- “Agents will build models of our thinking processes, with an increasing capacity to influence our decision-making.
- “Agents will also be increasingly used to model our human problem-solving processes, allowing employers to more frequently lay off workers once those models have been trained.
- “Any human who wants one will have access to a range of GenAI coaches, starting from very early ages, and changing in function and context as we age.
- “Humans will be able to describe application programs they want and software agents will create the programs on the fly.
- “The quality of deepfake text, audio and video will become stunningly effective, guided by those mental models.
- “AI agents will use this auto-generated content to overwhelm social media and communications channels, completely blurring the line between humans and software.
- “As software creates an increasing amount of software, the sheer scale of GenAI applications and software agents will become so complex and confusing, any individual’s ability to manage them will become overwhelmed.
“To respond to a world of technology that is relentlessly effective at manipulating us, we need a bigger boat. Now, we must:
- “Transform our systems of education to help people, young and older, to deepen a range of important skills, including critical thinking to question information sources, social-emotional learning to increase our individual capacity to manage our emotions and empathy to continually seek and reinforce authentic human connections.
- “Develop trusted applications that will help humans with discernment to understand when information sources are authentic, and to help people, young and old, to build better cognitive resiliency.
- “Deeply emphasize the value of human-centric practices, discouraging Silicon Valley’s incessant promotion of language that attempts to humanize their addictive products (‘AI employees’, ‘AI teams’).
- “Promote standards such as MyTerms that protect personal information which could otherwise be used to fuel more effective attempts to hack human minds.
- “Develop legislation that requires human-centric behavior by software vendors and holds them accountable for the societal ills their applications make possible.
- “Create better transparency in labor market information, requiring employers to identify when workers have become displaced by technologies (not just GenAI).
- “Offer economic incentives such as tax breaks and stipends to organizations that commit to keeping workers employed, trained in the use of new technologies, and paid a living wage.
- “Create inclusive programs connecting training and employment that help workers displaced by GenAI and related technologies to develop new skills, and to find or create meaningful, well-paid work.
- “Encourage small business formation fueled by training and grants to help workers launch their own companies, leveraging GenAI and other technologies.
“We missed the mark on social media, failing to envision all of the societal ills those apps might amplify – and failing to hold accountable those who created the technologies. We already know many of the possible and even likely ‘negative externalities’ of GenAI. This is our time to use those insights to create stronger societies, economies, jobs and lives.”
This essay was written in January 2026 in reply to the question: “AI systems are likely to begin to play a much more significant role in shaping our decisions, work and daily lives. How might individuals and societies embrace, resist and/or struggle with such transformative change? As opportunities and challenges arise due to the positive, neutral and negative ripple effects of digital change, what cognitive, emotional, social and ethical capacities must we cultivate to ensure effective resilience? What practices and resources will enable resilience? What actions must we take right now to reinforce human and systems resilience? What new vulnerabilities might arise and what new coping strategies are important to teach and nurture?” This and 200-plus additional essay responses are included in the 2026 report “Building a Human Resilience Infrastructure for the AI Age.”