On one side, there’s a race toward Artificial General Intelligence—more autonomous, more powerful, more out of control. A race led by governments and big corporations, where the goal isn’t the common good, but being the first to get there.
On the other side, there’s the chance to pause for a second. To look at where we’re heading. And to choose a different path—one where AI doesn’t replace us, but empowers us.
Anthony Aguirre, executive director of the Future of Life Institute, wrote an essay with a crystal-clear title: “Keep the Future Human.” In these pages, he warns us about a real risk: the birth of AGI, Artificial General Intelligence. Not just any technology, but something that combines autonomy, adaptability to any task, and intelligence beyond our own.
And when those three elements come together, we’re no longer talking about a tool—but a potential replacement.
Aguirre’s point is simple and urgent: once we cross certain thresholds, there’s no going back. That’s why he proposes we close the door on AGI, at least for now, and instead invest in what he calls “Tool AI”—artificial intelligence designed to help humans, not imitate or surpass them.
It’s an approach I completely agree with.
Those who follow me know this: for years, I’ve been advocating a philosophy I call Cyberhumanism.
A vision rooted in a clear principle: the human being must always remain at the center. Not just as a user, but as an ethical reference, as the driving force behind choices, as the guardian of values.
The philosophy of Cyberhumanism doesn’t ask us to slow down progress—it asks us to steer it. To build a future where AI isn’t the end goal, but a means. A way to enhance our abilities, not a substitute for our existence.
AI can be a mirror of our worst… or a tool to bring out our best.
It’s up to us.
In his essay, Aguirre makes a call to action—and he’s right. But maybe the real question is: do we truly need to shut everything down? Or do we need a new way of engaging with innovation—without losing what makes us human?
I believe in the second.
And I always say it: the future can remain human—if we choose to be human, even in front of the machine.
