George Soros: Can democracy survive the polycrisis?

Around the world, people increasingly live with the sense that too much is happening, too fast. Chief among the sources of this growing angst are the rise of artificial intelligence, climate change, and Russia's war in Ukraine — each of which demands urgent attention from policymakers and political leaders.

Geoffrey Hinton, who is generally considered the godfather of AI, has warned against fully autonomous weapon systems — killer robots, he called them. File picture: AP/Frank Augstein

We are living in troubled times. Too much is happening too fast. People are confused. The Columbia University economic historian Adam Tooze has, indeed, popularized a word for it. He calls it a “polycrisis.” The polycrisis has many sources. 

In my opinion the main source of the polycrisis afflicting the world today is artificial intelligence. Climate change comes second, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine qualifies as the third.