
AI: The Future Is Now
It was barely a year ago that artificial intelligence still seemed safely boxed away into the realm of “let’s worry about that later.” But, as with climate change and political extremism, the hypothetical has quickly (and scarily) morphed into the concrete. Generative AI applications like ChatGPT and Midjourney are now as ubiquitous in our technological imagination as Facebook and TikTok. TV writers and actors are striking in fear that streaming studios will steal their words and faces. And Geoffrey Hinton, the Toronto-based scientist behind much of the AI we’re using today, has become a modern-day Oppenheimer, suggesting the technology he brought into existence might threaten humanity. But AI isn’t all horror and global havoc: it can also fast-track health care, provide companionship to lonely souls, speed up our supply chains. We reached out to Canada’s top AI thinkers in fields like ethics, health and computer science and asked them to predict where AI will take us in the coming years, for better or worse. The results may sound like science fiction—but they’re coming at you sooner than you think.

The future of AI—and Canada’s place in it
“The human dimension to the problem of the future of AI—how people will react to the new tools—is at least as unknowable as the technology itself”
We’ll develop new drugs in months, not decades
Our research team used machine learning to discover a new antibiotic. And that’s just the beginning.
AI-enabled scams will proliferate
Ultra-realistic digital trickery will help fraudsters deceive people on an entirely new scale
The university essay will die out
AI will replace traditional forms of academic assessment—and create new ones
Political deepfakes will spread confusion and misinformation
The more confusion these deepfakes sow, the more people will accuse each other of faking everything. You’re not going to believe what you see. You’re going to disbelieve what you don’t like.
Autonomous weapons will threaten humanity
Militaries will use AI to wage deadlier biological and chemical warfare. But what if the technology turns against us?
Machines will read our minds
AI brain sensors will translate our thoughts into speech, text or even other languages
Machines will make our food tastier and healthier
AI algorithms can reduce food waste, add more nutrition and solve some of our restaurant-staffing woes
Personalized, preventive medicine is on its way
We’ll use machine learning to predict illness before it starts, reducing pressure on the health-care system
Hackers will use AI to orchestrate worldwide cyberattacks
The new AI might help criminals take down power grids or infiltrate electric vehicle networks
Studios will steal artists’ faces and voices
AI-generated actors, singers and visual artists stand to replace the real thing
The sexbots are coming
In the next year or two, we’ll have sophisticated, purpose-built bots designed for relationships, sex and intimacy