There’s an urgency emerging in the world right now. Yes, we have all heard about it before, from the ecologists, the economists, the historians, and the mystics. Perhaps what now leads the charge on this concern is the unprecedented rise and invasion of something the likes of which we have never seen before – AI.
Experts say that within the next 5 to 15 years, we will witness the arrival of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Some believe it could happen even sooner, and I am certainly one of those people. For those unfamiliar, AGI means an intelligence surpassing human intelligence — in other words, a kind of alien intelligence among us that has agency, intentions, and creative power.
This is emerging now, not in the future. And the consequences are, well, I am not sure if there is one word for it. We are on the brink of an Epoch. And we don’t know exactly what it means. It could be incredible. It could be catastrophic. What we do know is that we’re standing at a critical crossroads for humanity — a moment that could shape the future of our species.
This is no small thing. If this power is not managed with the utmost care and responsibility, it will absolutely do us harm. That’s a fact. And the only thing that will keep this force in check is our collective ability to work together — to act with shared benevolence, wisdom, and trust.
But here’s the catch: the pace of AI development is staggering, and no one knows where it’s going. Everyone is astounded, captivated, even obsessed. Yet despite this, development barrels forward — because no one trusts their neighbours to slow down or act responsibly. And this is where the opportunity and real work is. We must learn to trust our neighbours, but this is simply not possible until we can come to trust ourselves.
Trust is the only way. And it is upon the individual to learn how to do it. Understanding, building, and living in trust requires honest, committed inner work, and outer action. There is no shortcut, no escape.