Like humans, AI is forcing institutions to rethink their purpose
1 min read
Summary
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping cognitive terrain on which modern institutions were built, and is increasing pressure on them to change and adapt.
AI is not the only factor: compound effects of increasing income inequality, attacks on scientific process and consensus, politicised courts, and declining university enrolments have also contributed to a loss of trust in institutions, making AI an accelerant to disruption rather than just another challenge.
Many institutions are beginning to adapt to these changes, and the emergence of AI systems that can perform tasks formerly reserved for knowledge workers may lead to a repositioning of human roles towards functions that require empathy, ethical deliberation, and discretion.
In order to survive and remain relevant, institutions must become more adaptive, transparent, and attuned to non-algorithmically encodable human values, such as dignity, deliberation, and long-term stewardship.
These changes are the institutional dimension of cognitive migration, as societal structures evolve to adapt to a new era that encompasses human and machine intelligence.