There is broad consensus that artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing the way human society works. However, there is little agreement—and even less clarity—about the nature of the changes taking place. Is AI simply another tool, or does it represent something profoundly different from previous technologies?
As AI evolves at an unprecedented rate, influencing nearly every aspect of life, understanding its true nature and long-term implications has become an ever more critical task. We are in the early stages of producing a documentary that seeks to advance that understanding, using film to explore how AI development can contribute to a positive and flourishing future for humankind.
Humanity has coevolved with technology for millennia, from stone tools and language to rockets and television. Technology has always driven the advance of civilization. So why does AI, unlike past innovations, seem to pose an existential crisis for humanity today?
One reason is the growing belief that AI is more than a tool—that it represents a new form of intelligence that could, in many ways, replace human minds. That concern stems from a widely held belief, known as the computational metaphor: that human and machine intelligence function in essentially the same way—as if the mind were a computer, processing information through algorithms and rules.
At the same time, there is compelling evidence that humans and computers process information, interpret meaning, and interact with the physical world in markedly different ways. How we understand these differences—or choose to overlook them—will guide our development of AI and materially affect its impact on society. If we continue to buy into the computational metaphor, we risk designing AI in ways that fail to account for what makes human thought unique. But if we recognize AI as fundamentally different from human intelligence, we can develop it to augment and complement rather than distort or displace human minds.
These differences present an opportunity—one in which AI and human intelligence complement one another, forming symbiotic relationships that benefit individuals and society at large. The challenge ahead is not whether symbiosis is possible, but how we choose to shape their relationship to align with human values, vision, and goals.
Investigating the distinct yet potentially complementary qualities of human and machine intelligence empowers us to approach the future of AI with both optimism and critical insight. It allows us to guide AI’s development in ways that expand human agency while advancing technology in directions that serve society.
Our documentary will investigate AI’s potential through two interwoven narrative frameworks:
1. One framework examines the evolutionary origins and nature of human intelligence through an exploration of Terrence Deacon’s body of research on the subject.
2. The other framework is built around a structured method of exploring possible futures called scenario planning. Led by Jay Ogilvy, who has four decades of experience in the field, it enables us to anticipate the effects of a wide range of uncertainties on the future of AI.
By integrating these frameworks, we examine the fundamental differences between human thought and computation and how their complementary strengths could influence the coevolution of society and AI. Our first framework explores the evolution of human intelligence, showing how symbolic language and social cooperation shaped human minds.
Building on this foundation, our second framework—scenario planning—moves beyond abstraction to examine AI’s potential benefits and risks and how we can guide its development to align with human values and goals. This approach allows us to remain realistically optimistic—preparing for challenges while staying open to and envisioning the positive potential of AI.
As AI reshapes the world, it’s crucial to understand its true nature—and just as important to recognize the unique and irreplaceable qualities of human minds. This documentary project moves beyond common assumptions to reveal deeper insights into the evolving relationship between human and machine intelligence. By fostering this understanding, we hope to contribute to a future where AI expands human potential and points the way toward yet-undreamed-of frontiers.
