Soon artificial intelligence will probably become smarter than us, and how we cope with that historic development will determine humanity’s future. When it reaches this point, AI will be completely “Other,” a nonhuman entity capable of manipulating its environment.

Will a superintelligent AI be friendly toward us? Some are calling it an “extinction level event.” More optimistic scholars say that eventually AI could possibly view humans as we view our pets—interesting to keep around but intellectually inferior.

In many ways we’re already paving the way to live alongside artificial general intelligence. We use smartphones as an extension of our brains. The entire globe uses digital services in some form or fashion. People are even enhancing themselves with neural implants. In these ways we’re learning what it means to transcend our biology.

The outcome is uncertain, but nonetheless I do feel that it’s truly an exciting time to be alive, watching the long-awaited AI revolution happen in real time.

What do you think? Will humanity survive AI? What would that future look like?