AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future

AI 2041 is a book that started me down the artificial intelligence pathway. Written by Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Quifan, it features ten scenarios that could potentially become reality between now and the year 2041.

Although some of these scenarios seem more than far-fetched I have to admit I'm intrigued by the one outlined in chapter three; it describes a much more effective and efficient model for individual education than what we have today. This chapter provides a vision for a world where each student's strengths and weaknesses are used to power an AI agent custom designed for their particular learning experience. This is a model I've wondered and written about for many years as my learning path is different from yours, so why are we all taught using a least common denominator approach? This is precisely why one-on-one tutoring is oftentimes much more effective than large class instruction. Individual tutoring doesn't scale though but an AI agent model does.

Some readers will undoubtedly be turned off by the privacy invasion required to fully leverage an AI solution. I prefer to focus on the benefits rather than the loss of privacy, especially since the definition of privacy has evolved quite a bit over the past 10 years. Think about it: Your every movement wasn't tracked by a Blackberry back in the 2000's but you've probably created quite a digital trail with your Android or iPhone in the past few years.

Regardless of where you stand on this issue I highly recommend AI 2041 as a thought-provoking introduction to where the world might be heading thanks to the power of artificial intelligence.