Will Society Evolve Fast Enough? [Newsletter #61]

Hello, AI enthusiasts from around the world.

Welcome to this week’s newsletter for the AI and the Future of Work podcast.

There’s a lot of hype around AI, but there’s a side we’re not addressing.

While the AI revolution is unfolding faster than anyone imagined, we’re not educating the next generation about AI fast enough.

The consequences could be dire. But not all is lost.

This is the perfect moment to embrace opportunity and take action.

Today’s episode explores the steps we must take to ensure a safe future where humanity and AI coexist.

Let’s dive into this week’s highlights! 🚀

🎙️ New Podcast Episode With Dr. Mark van Rijmenam, author and futurist.

Our society is facing a loneliness epidemic. But what does that have to do with AI? Loneliness isn’t the first topic that comes to mind when we talk about artificial intelligence. Still, AI could have a big impact on how we respond to it.

That impact isn’t always positive.

Today, there’s plenty of hype around the tools we’ve built. The potential feels endless. But there’s also confusion. And according to Dr. Mark van Rijmenam, the negative consequences could be just as vast. He’s is ranked as the world's best futurists and is known globally for his trademark “Optimistic Dystopian” viewpoint.

Dr. van Rijmenam focuses on the intersection of humanity and innovation. He describes himself as an architect of tomorrow, helping others become one too.

His goal is to build a better future. One that’s exciting and optimistic, but also grounded in realism.

Dan Turchin, PeopleReign CEO, sat down with Dr. van Rijmenam to unpack a critical insight: we’re building powerful AI tools, but we still don’t know how to use them. Worse, we’re not teaching the next generation how to use them, either.

That’s how the conversation turns to loneliness.

We’re living through a loneliness epidemic. That much is clear. The real problem begins when some propose using AI to fix it. Anyone can suggest AI as a solution to loneliness. But the concern is when society starts accepting that idea as normal—when it shouldn’t.

Still, Dr. van Rijmenam doesn’t see this moment as purely negative. There’s an opportunity to shift how we think about AI. Not just as a tool for short-term gain, but as a force that should benefit humanity in the long run.

The conversation covers this and much more:

• A roadmap to navigate the intersection of technology, ecology, and geopolitics is possible. But it requires the right mindset, both from individuals and organizations.

• Preparing for the future isn’t just about advancing technology. It also means including diverse perspectives and worldviews in how we design and deploy it.

• AI is evolving faster than our ability to regulate it. That’s why we need stronger safeguards, clearer ethical frameworks, and a more mature societal approach to risk.

• Organizations can also build resilience now. Dr. van Rijmenam shares his WAVE framework: Watch for signals, Adapt with purpose, Verify data, Empower through education.

🎧 This week's episode of AI and the Future of Work, featuring Dr. Mark van Rijmenam, inspired this issue.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about his grounded optimism and why he believes we still have time to shape a better future if we act now.

📖 AI Fun Fact

Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity, believes his AI browser, Comet, could replace two common white-collar jobs: recruiters and administrative assistants. All you need to use it is a browser.

In Business Insider, Thibaud Spirlet explains how Comet’s built-in AI agent connects with apps like Gmail, LinkedIn, and Google Calendar to build candidate lists, find contact info, and send personalized outreach. These are tasks usually handled by recruiting coordinators and sourcers.

But that’s not all. Comet can also handle a wide range of executive assistant tasks like email triage, calendar management, and meeting prep.

Srinivas envisions Comet evolving into an AI operating system for knowledge workers—an “AIOS” that runs continuously in the background, ready to act on natural language prompts.

PeopleReign's CEO Dan Turchin urges caution when reading these articles. This is straight from the department of irresponsible journalism, amplifying irresponsible, self-serving tech elite posturing. 

The Comet browser, and AI browsers in general, change the web experience from passive to active. It's exciting that a browser may soon push content to us instead of waiting for us to pull it.

The more agency we give it, the more likely it is to deliver unexpected results. 

A browser is not about to take over any job. It will soon augment work for all of us, but—just like even the smartest colleague—it will make mistakes and require explicit guidance to do useful work.

The best therapy after reading a click-baity article like this is to shut the laptop, walk outside, smell a rose, and celebrate your humanness. 

That's something no bot will ever do.

🗳️ Vote for Dan to Moderate at SXSW 2026

Worth A Read📚

📣 Share your Thoughts and Leave a Review!

Until next time, stay curious! 🤔

That's a Wrap for This Week!

If you liked this newsletter, share it with your friends!
If this email was forwarded to you, subscribe to our Linkedin’s newsletter here to get the newsletter every week.