Historian Yuval Noah Harari writes, “The algorithms are watching you right now.  They are watching where you go, what you buy, who you meet.  Soon they will monitor all your steps, all your breaths, all your heartbeats.  They are relying on Big Data and machine learning to get to know you better and better.  And once these algorithms know you better than you know yourself, they could control and manipulate you, and you won’t be able to do much about it.  You will live in the matrix, or in The Truman Show.”

Artificial intelligence is beginning to fundamentally reshape our lives. We first noticed this with Siri, Netflix recommendations, and automated air traffic control. But we are now quickly moving into whole new models for life. The definition of AI is constantly changing and it gets complicated. This flow chart helps to explain it. Some experts tell us that AI is only fifty years away from matching human intelligence.

China’s newest stars are virtual news presenters which use artificial intelligence to copy human voices and facial expressions. Algorithms now perform better than doctors at predicting mental health problems and AI is revolutionizing cardiac care. The cultural bias of driverless cars is determining who lives and who dies. You can check into Shanghai’s airport automatically with facial recognition technology and banks are trialling new automatic teller machines which use artificial intelligence-powered facial recognition software to enable customers to withdraw cash. Christie’s auction house sells art created by algorithms and artificial intelligence is set to become art’s next medium.

AI is a key area of strategic competition and algorithmic wars are the future. The US is in a race with China to develop next-generation security technologies as China integrates humans and machines. It is only a matter of time until terrorists use AI as a weapon and killer robots are set to repulse the world.  We all have a stake in banning killer robots. Calls for such bans are becoming more strident as the growing threat of lethal autonomous weapons is raising international alarm and the Pentagon is exploring the ethics of AI in war.

Artificial intelligence is also beginning to alter instruction in higher education institutions. Robots now teach university level courses. MIT has announced a $1 billion commitment to address the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence. In schools, open-source technologies are making robotics a more accessible subject and helping prepare students for futures in artificial intelligence. However, some things can’t be automated and a teacher who makes you think might just be one of those things.

So what does this all mean for us? To thrive in this rapidly appearing future, we need the ability to deal with complex change, to constantly learn and relearn, to reinvent ourselves, and to be mentally flexible. As authority shifts from humans to algorithms, it is undermining the very concept of individual freedom right in front of our eyes.

We can no longer draw a hard line between the responsibilities of humans and the responsibilities of machines. There is now doubt about who is actually in charge. Humans are no longer the ultimate authority and machines no longer just follow instructions. Perhaps AI is not artificial? Instead, it might be an extension of our own intelligence. Perhaps Augmented Intelligence is a more appropriate term? If this thought petrifies you, then you had better buckle up. We need to think very seriously about the social and ethical implications of AI. When AI begins to make better decisions than us about careers and relationships, our concept of humanity will have to change. Yuval Noah Harari asks, “Do we have models for making sense of such a life?”

Tom Vander Ark has previously written about the exponential disruption being caused by AI, arguing that it is time for a civic conversation about the implications of this new age. He suggests that schools should become the hub of community conversations about both the ethics and the opportunities of our time.