What do experts think about AI?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic idea but a reality in our everyday lives. Virtual assistants, algorithms that write texts, design images or even help diagnose diseases are now part of our daily lives. What used to require weeks of human labour can now be done in minutes thanks to increasingly sophisticated AI models, which are transforming industry, the economy and society.

This debate was one of the central themes of Talent Arena 2025 (web link), the leading European event dedicated to digital talent, where industry experts reflected on how AI is changing what we do, how we do it and how we think. Far from being a simple technological add-on, AI is establishing itself as a structural component of digital society.

Working with AI, not against it

One of the major concerns today is the idea that artificial intelligence will replace human jobs. During his presentation, Steve Wozniak emphasised the value of being creative and keeping an eye on innovation at every step technology takes. According to him, AI will be very useful as it can provide many ideas to help us refine the direction we want to go in. However, it will be necessary for the human mind to be critical and able to add its own substance.

Along the same lines, Miguel Ángel Durán gave an illustrative example: a set of AI systems working in coordination were able to develop functional software in just seven minutes, a task that would have taken a human team several weeks.

This type of automation does not necessarily mean the disappearance of human labour. On the contrary, it opens the door to new professions, new roles and new forms of collaboration. In fact, the World Economic Forum’s report ‘Four Futures for Jobs in the New Economy: AI and Talent in 2030’ shows that, although 54% of global executives expect some degree of job displacement, 24% anticipate the creation of new jobs linked to the supervision and orchestration of AI agents. In an environment with more tools than ever before, people who are able to guide, supervise and make sense of technology are becoming increasingly important.

In this new scenario, collaboration between people and artificial intelligence allows us to:

• Automate repetitive tasks with low added value.
• Accelerate creative and product development processes.
• Create new professional profiles linked to supervision and strategy.
• Improve data-driven decision-making.

It is not just about knowing how to program, but about knowing how to think with technology.

The ethical challenges of an increasingly automated world

The transformation driven by AI also brings ethical, social and educational challenges that cannot be ignored. The ability to generate text, images, audio or video that is virtually indistinguishable from the real thing poses obvious risks, such as misinformation, identity theft or the malicious use of automated content.

Grandmaster chess player Miguel Illescas, with decades of experience in a field where AI is fully integrated, warned of the growing difficulty of detecting digital deception: ‘We face an enormous challenge when AI can deceive us and impersonate identities in ways that are increasingly difficult to detect.’ What was once confined to controlled environments is now spreading to the real world.

Education for a critical digital age

To address this new scenario, Pilar Manchón emphasised the importance of educating critical, aware and informed citizens. In a context where information is generated and distributed at an unprecedented speed, digital literacy cannot be limited to technical knowledge.

It is necessary to educate people in critical thinking, ethics and understanding of algorithms and their social implications. AI not only provides answers, but also forces us to ask ourselves key questions: what do we want it to do for us, what limits do we set for it and what role do we want to play as a society. Machines process data with great efficiency, but people are still essential for interpreting it, contextualising it and making responsible decisions.

Collaborating with machines: a new paradigm

Despite the uncertainties generated by technological transformation, there is also room for optimism. As Garry Kasparov, one of the first to publicly face an intelligent machine, reminded us, AI is not meant to replace us, but to complement us.

When properly integrated, artificial intelligence can help us become more efficient, more creative and more capable. The key is to maintain a focus on the human aspect: machines can solve technical problems, but it is we humans who decide which problems are worth solving.

Technology with purpose: our role in the age of AI

Ultimately, the advancement of artificial intelligence is not an inevitable threat, but an opportunity to rethink our role in an ever-evolving world. Technology will continue to advance, but the direction and purpose depend on us.

The true power of AI lies not only in its algorithms, but in the intention with which we use it. For this technology to have a positive and sustainable impact on society, it is essential to:

• Establish clear ethical boundaries in its development and application.
• Promote digital literacy and critical thinking.
• Prioritise human value over purely technical efficiency.
• Ensure responsible, transparent use that is aligned with the common good.

It is in our hands to ensure that artificial intelligence drives knowledge, creativity and collective progress, while preserving our individuality and humanity.