Nina Schick is a leading speaker and expert on generative AI, renowned for her groundbreaking work at the intersection of technology, society and geopolitics.
As one of the first authors to publish a book on generative AI, she has emerged as a sought-after speaker helping global leaders, businesses, and institutions understand and adapt to this transformative moment.
We spoke to Nina to explore the future of AI-driven innovation, its ethical and political dimensions, and how organisations can lead in this rapidly evolving landscape.
In your view, how will generative AI redefine the foundational structures of business and economic productivity in the coming decade?
I believe generative AI is absolutely going to transform the entire economy as we know it. This moment feels quite similar to around 1993, when we were first being told to prepare for the Internet. Back then, some thirty years ago, we didn’t fully grasp, in our naivety, how profoundly the Internet would go on to reshape business and the broader global economy.
Now, we are witnessing something even more significant. You can think of generative AI as a kind of new combustion engine, but for all forms of human creative and intelligent activity. It’s a fundamental enabler. Every industry, every facet of productivity, will be impacted and ultimately transformed by generative AI. We’re already beginning to see those use cases emerge, and this is only the beginning.
As AI and data continue to evolve as forces shaping society, how do you see them redefining the political agenda and global power dynamics?
When you reflect on just how profound AI is in its capacity to reshape the entire framework of society, it becomes clear that this AI revolution is going to emerge as one of the most important political questions of our generation. Over the past 30 years, we’ve already seen how the information revolution — driven by the Internet, smartphones, and cloud computing — has become a defining geopolitical force.
Now, we’re layering the AI revolution on top of that, along with the data that fuels it, and the impact is nothing short of seismic. This will evolve into one of the most pressing and influential issues society must address over the coming decades. So, to answer the question directly — AI won’t just influence politics; it will, in many ways, become the very fabric of politics itself.
There’s been much discussion about the Metaverse and immersive tech — how do you see these experiences evolving, and what role do you believe AI will play in architecting this next frontier of digital interaction?
The Metaverse represents a vision for where the Internet may be heading — a future where digital experiences become far more immersive, intuitive, and experiential. It’s a concept that imagines how we might engage with digital content in a far more lifelike way.
But the really fascinating element here is that artificial intelligence is the key enabler — the actual vehicle — that will allow us to build and scale these kinds of immersive digital environments. So, even though the Metaverse remains largely an untested concept in terms of its final form, what is clear right now is that AI is going to be the engine that generates and populates the content that will live within these immersive spaces.
Considering the transformative power of AI and big data, what ethical imperatives must policymakers and society address to ensure equitable and responsible deployment?
The conversation around ethics, artificial intelligence, and big data is one that is set to become intensely political and highly consequential. It will likely remain a predominant issue for many years to come.
What we’re dealing with here is a technology so transformative that it has the potential to reshape the economy, redefine the labour market, and fundamentally alter the structure of society itself. That’s why the ethical questions — how to ensure this technology is applied in a fair, safe, and responsible manner — will be one of the defining political challenges of our time.
For business leaders navigating digital transformation, what mindset shifts are essential to meaningfully integrate AI into long-term strategy and operations?
For businesses aiming to digitally transform, especially in the era of artificial intelligence, it’s critical to first understand the conceptual paradigm shift we are currently undergoing. Once that foundational understanding is in place, it becomes much easier to explore and adopt AI technologies effectively.
If companies wish to remain competitive and gain a strategic edge, now is the time to start investigating how generative AI can be thoughtfully and effectively integrated into their business models. This includes identifying priority areas where AI can deliver long-term value — not just short-term.
If you put together a generative AI working group to look into this, your business will be transformed and able to compete with other businesses that are using AI to transform their processes.
As one of the earliest voices to articulate the societal implications of generative AI, what catalysed your foresight to explore this space before it entered the mainstream conversation?
My interest in AI didn’t come from a technical background. I’m not a techie. My experience has always been in analysing macro trends that shape society, geopolitics, and the wider world. That perspective is what led me to AI, as it quickly became clear that this technology would have far-reaching societal implications.
I began researching and writing about AI because I saw it as more than just a technological shift. Ultimately, this isn’t only a story about innovation. It’s a story about humanity. Generative AI, as an exponential technology built and directed by humans, is going to transform not just the way we work, but the way we live. It will even challenge our understanding of what it means to be human.
Photo by Heidi Fin on Unsplash
This interview with Nina Schick was conducted by Mark Matthews.
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