Why AGI’s Potential, Demands Equal Investment in Human Development
Protecting Humanity for an Empowered Future
Australia’s recent decision to ban social media for users under 16 is groundbreaking. By taking such decisive action, the Australian government signalled that young people’s mental health and well-being can no longer be a secondary concern in the digital age. But while this law aims to curb the damage caused by platforms like TikTok and Instagram, a much larger wave of technological transformation looms — Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
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Social media has reshaped society in profound and troubling ways. With its potential to make those impacts look minuscule, AGI could redefine industries, economies, and even the essence of working and living.
It could lead to mass unemployment as jobs are automated, disrupt economies as wealth becomes concentrated in those who control AGI, and fundamentally alter the nature of human relationships and decision-making. However, if handled well, it could amplify human potential in ways we’ve barely begun to imagine, ushering in a new era of prosperity and innovation.
Mishandled, it could deepen inequalities, erode trust in institutions, and place humanity in an uncharted realm of dependency on machines. This is why the conversation about AGI needs to go beyond the usual narratives of technological progress and innovation. It’s about protecting humanity from AGI’s potential harm and ensuring equivalent investment in developing human capabilities. These two priorities aren’t mutually exclusive — they are deeply intertwined.
Without protection, the risks of AGI could spiral into mass displacement, manipulation, and unchecked power consolidation. Without investment in human development, the gap between those who can leverage AI and those left behind will widen, creating societal stratification on an unprecedented scale. Equitable governance, where the benefits and risks of AGI are distributed fairly among all members of society, is crucial in this context.
But here’s the critical question: if this co-investment model isn’t mandated and AGI begins its ascendency over humanity, will it even be possible to invest in humanity’s capabilities? If AGI’s influence grows unchecked, the systems needed to support human empowerment — education, equitable governance, and ethical decision-making — may become irrelevant or, worse, controlled by entities prioritising AGI over human welfare.
A Global Framework for Balance
This dual approach — protection and investment — must be more than a national conversation. It should be fundamental to a United Nations policy, with every country invited to legislate its adoption as legally enforceable.
Why the UN? AGI doesn’t respect borders, and its societal impacts will ripple across nations in ways no single government can fully control. A unified framework could establish globally binding guidelines, ensuring that AGI development aligns with shared human values while equitably distributing its benefits and mitigating risks. This is a call for global unity and cooperation, recognising that the challenges and opportunities presented by AGI are too significant for any nation to address alone.
Imagine a UN-mandated policy that allocates resources proportionally: for every dollar invested in AGI development, an equal dollar must be assigned to education, ethical oversight, and workforce retraining. Countries would be legally bound to enforce these measures, holding tech companies accountable and ensuring a fair balance between advancing technology and empowering people. This is not only about justice — it’s about survival in a world where AGI could redefine the rules of engagement for societies everywhere.
Learning from the Social Media Experience
The social media ban provides an important lesson. Platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook arrived with promises of connection and entertainment, but they also brought addiction, misinformation, and harm to young minds. By the time governments began addressing these issues, the platforms had already embedded themselves deeply into daily life. The legislation to restrict access for under-16s may be imperfect, but it shows that governments can act decisively when the risks are undeniable.
With AGI, the stakes are even higher. Social media exploits human psychology, but AGI has the potential to fundamentally alter the structure of human labour, decision-making, and creativity. There are other options than waiting to see how things play out.
The time to act is now, while AGI is in its realtively early stages of development.
The challenge isn’t just about regulation; it’s about rebalancing the priorities of technological advancement to ensure AGI becomes a tool for human empowerment, not domination. It’s not possible to overstate the urgency of this situation. The decisions we make now will shape the future of humanity because there has never been a technology with autonomous intelligence that can surpass human intelligence.
The Balance of Power: Human Development and AGI
Right now, the imbalance is glaring. The vast majority of funding in AI research flows into automation and the pursuit of AGI, often to replace human labour. Meanwhile, investments in education and upskilling are treated as afterthoughts. This is a recipe for disaster. If we don’t equip people with the knowledge and skills to navigate an AI-driven world, we risk creating a society where opportunity is reserved for a privileged few who understand how to wield these tools.
For every dollar spent on advancing AGI, an equal dollar must be invested in human development.
This means teaching people enhanced life skills and fostering their ability to coexist with AI tools, think critically, and make ethical decisions in a world increasingly influenced by algorithms. It also means empowering communities to actively shape how AI integrates into their lives, workplaces, and governments.
Pitching for a Pro-Human Future
It’s feasible for technology to determine our destiny. If we act now with a pro-human approach to investing in AI, we choose our destiny. Australia’s social media ban demonstrates that governments can legislate for societal good, even when the process is rushed or controversial.
But AGI presents a scenario I describe as “Simultaneously Exhilarating and Terrifying”© — we have a window of opportunity to build a framework for collaboration between humans and machines that prioritises human flourishing over profit or efficiency alone.
The only way that will happen is for politicians to stiffen their spines and stand up for humanity rather than profit. Protecting people from harm and investing in their development are two sides of the same coin.
Without this balance, the rise of AGI could exacerbate existing inequalities and create new ones that are even harder to dismantle. However, with the right policies rooted in global cooperation and equity, AGI can amplify human potential rather than diminish it.
But if politicians fail to act decisively — if resources flow disproportionately into AGI while humanity’s capabilities are neglected — we will reach a point of no return. A future where AGI dominates every facet of life could render humanity’s empowerment irrelevant, leaving us at the mercy of systems we no longer control.
The question is not whether we will adapt to AGI but whether we will shape its rise in a way that empowers humanity to thrive. The choice is ours, and the time to make it is now.
About the author: Greg Twemlow, Founder of XperientialAI©.
Greg Twemlow: Sharing what I’ve learned from my career of 35 years as a citizen of the world, parent, corporate executive, entrepreneur, and CEO of XperientialAI, focused on experiential learning for maximum impact with AI. Contact Greg: greg@xperiential.ai
