Decentering Humanity: Rethinking Our Relationship with AI

Kim Carson, Interim Chief of Staff at Imagine Global and former IBM Watson pioneer, has spent over a decade working at the intersection of AI, impact, and equity. From developing AI teaching companions for underserved schools to leading a billion-dollar fund focused on expanding AI's global reach, Carson brings a uniquely optimistic yet grounded perspective to the AI discourse. In an era where 63% of people distrust AI and 73% worry about data privacy, her vision for a more inclusive and beneficial AI ecosystem offers a compelling counterpoint to the prevalence of pessimism with technology. Breaking Silicon Valley's AI Monopoly Imagine Global operates on a revolutionary model built around three pillars: expertise, innovation, and capital. "We have the largest group of independent research scientists working on artificial intelligence in the world," Carson explains. "These are people that are not aligned with any of the big companies." This independence is crucial for developing AI to serve diverse global needs rather than Silicon Valley interests. The company is establishing innovation hubs worldwide to regularize AI development. Unlike the centralized approach of tech giants, these hubs bring AI capabilities directly to local communities. This model addresses a fundamental trust issue: "It's happening, you know, from Microsoft or OpenAI or Anthropic. If I'm based in a village in Africa or I'm based in Europe or the Middle East or South America somewhere, then that's a reason to not trust because… I have no visibility into what's going on. I think our purpose is to bring the innovation centers… to the communities versus trying to bring the communities to the AI… so that we can really start to improve upon that trust and really get more of humanity involved in the creation and maintenance of these systems and more around the sovereignty of their own data,” Carson notes. Research done by AI Now validates this lack of diversity, with studies showing that more than 80% of AI professors are men, while 3 major AI companies have less than 5% black workers. This shows a major gap in gender and race in the AI world. Rethinking Human-Centered Design One of Carson's most provocative insights challenges the dominance of human-centered design in technology development. She argues that positioning humans at the center of everything has contributed to numerous crises, including climate change. "We've all of a sudden set ourselves apart from and aside of and don't realize until there's a crisis that that's actually not the way that we should be doing things," she observes. Drawing parallels to indigenous knowledge systems, Carson advocates for viewing AI as part of a larger ecosystem rather than a tool subservient to human needs. This perspective aligns with recent research in environmental psychology showing how human-centricity correlates with reduced environmental concern and sustainable behaviors. The solution, according to Carson, lies in "de-centering the human from the ecosystem." She compares this paradigm shift to raising a child: "You wouldn't be upset if the child actually was smarter than you or didn't take on your biases or pointed things back at you that maybe you need to pay attention to." The Environmental Cost of AI Progress Among the most pressing challenges in AI development is its environmental impact. Here are the key environmental concerns Carson identifies: 1. Energy consumption 2. Cooling requirements 3. Water usage 4. Resource scarcity 5. Data center proliferation "There's a big, big, big issue with large language models and their drain on planetary resources," Carson emphasizes. Research from the University of Massachusetts shows training a single AI model can emit 626,000 pounds of carbon dioxide– close to five times the lifetime emissions of a car. She points to promising solutions emerging in the field: "There's a number of companies that are thinking about on-edge models, like how they run on CPUs instead of GPUs. There's also a number of people that are thinking about compression of models and different types of data extraction servers." Arts, Imagination, and AI's Future Carson sees artistic expression as crucial for shaping AI's future. She shares the story of Will Hatcher, who used AI to create the number one viral song on TikTok, demonstrating how AI can enhance creativity rather than replace it. "If you want to know why right now everything is so downtrodden and dystopian, all you have to do is look at the art," Carson observes. She draws a parallel to Star Trek's influence on technological innovation, arguing that positive artistic visions can guide beneficial technological development. Among the exciting startups in Imagine Global's ecosystem, Carson highlights companies developing AI personalities and platforms for global musical collaboration. These initiatives exemplify her vision of technology fostering connection and creativity rather than competition. A Call to Curiosity The path to favorable AI begins with curiosity rather than fear. Carson advocates for starting conversations in your community about AI: "Talk to people at Thanksgiving. What kinds of AI tools are you using? If you're not using any, why aren't you using them?" Don't wait for the perfect moment to engage with AI. As Carson reminds us, "You won't get replaced today by AI, but you will get replaced by somebody who's using AI." The future of AI depends on diverse voices and perspectives shaping its development. Start by exploring AI tools in your area of interest. Ask questions, share experiences, and imagine possibilities. Remember, as Carson says, "Once you ask a question, you may have an idea... and all of a sudden you are now a creator of a new kind of product." The future of AI isn't just about technology—it's about humanity's collective imagination and willingness to engage with new possibilities. Thanks for joining us as we learn more about our role in shaping the future of AI. To watch and listen to the podcast with Kim Carson, find it on Spotify and Apple. If you’re interested in learning more about the topics talked about in this blog, please visit TheHumanityCode.ai