Agnieszka Wolska, vice-president of the management board of BNP Paribas Bank Polska, in conversation with Scott Galloway, a prominent speaker, entrepreneur and marketing expert.
Agnieszka Wolska: Artificial intelligence not only affects us adults, but also influences the education and social development of young people. How do you envision the impact of artificial intelligence on the way we raise children? Do you have concerns about the potential consequences, particularly in the realm of relationships and personal development?
Scott Galloway: Certainly AI will work well as a tutor to help understand organic chemistry, for example, but there are also some really exciting applications of AI. They are the ones that can push education into areas that traditionally have not had access to good education.
On the other hand, I worry that through AI we will raise a generation, especially young men, who will only opt for low-key digital relationships and never engage in a real relationship. Instead, they will sit in the basement in the company of digital friends and lovers.
I fear that our children will not be motivated to allow for the possibility of rejection, the emotional trauma that can be experienced in a real romantic relationship – or friendship. And yet the meaning of life is very much about finding a friend who will laugh and cry with us, finding a partner with whom we want to build a life and a family.
So what should we do about it? We are talking about sophisticated issues here, but then we have the war in Ukraine, the aggression of Hamas – the bad boys who attack others. So what practical steps, as parents and as a society, can we take to raise an emotionally mature young generation?
As a parent, I focus on getting my boys out of the house as often as possible and require them to engage in social situations and take risks. Sometimes I even force them to interact with strangers, even though it can be difficult and painful.
At the same time, looking at politics, both as a citizen and as a voter, I believe that there is a need to develop economic policies that favour young people. I observe that many economic decisions make housing and education unaffordably expensive, which affects the economic attractiveness of the younger generation. Young people have limited resources to form their own households and opt for parenthood.
In the context of the development of artificial intelligence, you mentioned the need for collaboration and regulation. How do you see the role of democracy and capitalism in dealing with the potential dangers of advanced artificial intelligence, and do you think there is a better political or economic system to meet the challenges of the developing technology?
I believe in what Winston Churchill said, that democracy and capitalism are the worst systems, except for all the others. Personally, I am loyal and faithful to democracy and capitalism because they have given me tremendous opportunities. I think cooperation, alliances, recognising that we have more in common than what divides us, is extremely important. Our hallmarks are dignity, civil rights, human rights and democracy. I think it is working.
Artificial intelligence recently passed the Turing test, which is a significant advance in the field of artificial intelligence. What does this mean for you? What implications do you see, given the views of some experts, such as Mustafa Suleyman, who raise the issue of artificial capable intelligence as the next stage of evolution? Should artificial intelligence, in your opinion, not only compose emails or perform basic tasks, but also make decisions and take actions on different time horizons?
I know Mustafa and have great respect for him. However, I do not share the belief that artificial intelligence poses a greater threat to humanity than other technologies we already know. It reminds me of the situation of the scientists who bargained for their lives after discovering how to split the atom. At the time, they thought it was the end of the world. Nevertheless, we have managed to set up treaties to control nuclear weapons. Countries all over the world, including those that were our opponents, agreed to work together on regulations that they largely abide by in relation to biological weapons.
I see no reason why we could not achieve the same level of cooperation in the context of artificial intelligence control. Again, I stress that a lot of this concern stems from the narcissism of the technology community, which believes that every decision they make can either save the world or destroy it. I don’t think this is true.
You mentioned Poland’s recent economic growth and the importance of democracy and pro-immigration policies. How can nations like Poland leverage advances in artificial intelligence to sustain economic growth, and what role do you see for international cooperation in ensuring that artificial intelligence benefits different economies?
Poland’s economy is growing faster than any other economy in Europe, and I am further encouraged by the recent elections and the impressive turnout. And I have no advice other than to say that America is on your side, and that democracy and pro-immigration policies are necessary to counter the autocrats who are trying to invade Europe.
As Americans, we have welcomed the most enlightened minds – the minds of immigrants who create market value today. I believe this is an opportunity for all of us – to welcome the best, brightest and bravest people from other countries.