The human-machine relationship is fundamental in the new world in which we live. From the factory floor to the board room. From the classroom to the operating theatre. We all have roles that machines can play in our lives, and we are still at the very beginning of this machine learning journey.

I believe that the next great inflection point in human history is upon us. It represents a new shift in humanity’s relationship with technology. And while the future is impossible to predict, what I can say for certain is that humans and machines will collaborate in ways we can’t imagine today.

Collaboration: The Next Wave

The next wave of human-AI collaboration will be the intersection of creativity, emotion, and design. In that space, a human is the curator and the AI is the producer. We’re just now beginning to understand the emotional and aesthetic drivers of human decision-making—a space that machines have yet to fully explore. This next wave of human-AI collaboration will require us to expand our understanding of AI to “AI+I,” or artificial intelligence plus inspiration. It’s a space where the AI is the servant, doing what the human wants it to do. The human is the curator. The human is the designer. The human is the artist.

The AI is the machine.

When we think about AI today, we think about the way that it can be used to replace humans in a very narrow set of tasks. But this is a very limited view of the potential of AI. It is not the only thing that it can do, nor necessarily the best thing that it can do.

AI can also be used to create beautiful, compelling, and emotionally resonant products, experiences, and services. And that is where the real art will happen. In this realm, the technology is still immature, and we don’t yet have the right tools or the right frameworks to understand the emotional experiences that AI can create. But we’re getting there.

So how do we evolve to the next phase of Human-AI collaboration?

- First, we must take advantage of the speed and scale of machine learning to create an operating system for human behavior. The discipline of “AI ethics” will help us understand the parameters of appropriate human-machine collaboration.

- Second, we must incentivize the business models that will reward collaboration between humans and machines. And we must preserve a human-centered approach as the technology scales. This will require an unprecedented degree of collaboration between technology firms, governments, and creators.

- Third, we must educate the next generation of humans about machines. We must develop new training programs to prepare our children for the world that is coming. We must engage with new ways to teach creativity, design, and empathy in a world where a majority of the work now being done, will be done by machines.

- Finally, we must embrace a new kind of leadership. We need leaders who understand the power of collaboration, the importance of ethics, and the complexity of the coming age of man and machine.

We have the opportunity to do more than simply survive. We can use our intelligence to manifest a future that is more creative, more prosperous, and more human. The age of AI is here. It is up to us to ensure that it is a good age for us all.

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