Much of the world’s leading AI research occurs in the U.S., which puts American voters in a fortunate position to voice our opinions and influence its development. By extension, voters and legislators bear both the privilege and the responsibility of setting the standards — standards with global implications — on AI policy. At the same time, we must be careful not to blow our lead by exerting undue and untimely policy.

We ought to critically assess the claims of those in power — the politicians, CEOs and, especially, the mainstream media. As the intelligence revolution takes shape, citizens must engage in the dialogue that will impact this future — our future. 

Even for everyday internet users, we find difficulty in finding the balance between building an authentic — with emphasis on “authentic” — online profile and also protecting our offline privacy. For lawmakers writing legislation, the goal here shouldn’t be to codify the interests of prosecutors or Big Tech into legislation, but to secure individual agency for end-users. 

Death’s ominous hand sharpens our focus, compelling us to live deeply and meaningfully. Strip that all away, and what’s left? An eternal life, surely, but an eternally meaningless one.