This week offered several technology and AI stories that paint a sharper picture of where we actually are. Sam Altman sat down with Fortune for a long interview on whether superintelligence can ever be controlled. A new AP poll this week found that 64% of Americans say AI is developing too fast, and 80% want the government to maintain human oversight. MIT Technology Review named the dynamic: AI’s “popularity paradox.” People who use AI describe it positively, while those same people fear it at the societal level. Against all that, HBR published research on what top AI performers actually do differently: they don’t just automate tasks, they redesign workflows and use AI to sharpen judgment.
Let’s dive into the latest news, resources, and use cases from the world of product, UX, AI and technology:
📊 Product-Market Fit
🧠 Superintelligence
🗓️ The Day After
🌓 AI Paradox
🛑 Too Fast
🤖 Siri
🥇 Top Performers
🧑🦲 Loneliness
Podcast
Finding Product-Market Fit with Ken Gavranovic
Discover how seasoned technology executive Ken Gavranovic shares insights on building innovative products, leading digital transformation, and harnessing AI to drive business growth. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or a product leader, learn practical strategies to navigate and excel in the tech landscape.
News and Useful Reads
Can superintelligence ever be controlled? Sam Altman on AI safety, doomsday scenarios, and OpenAI’s delayed IPO
If you’re still struggling (like me) with the dichotomy of AI being the technology that could lead humanity to some sort of utopia while simultaneously being the technology that could destroy us, then you’re not alone. The leaders of AI companies are in the same boat, as this longread explores.
Unsurprisingly, Altman, 41, is a true believer in the society-changing potential of AI. Everything—materials science, biotech, energy—will be transformed, he asserts. He believes all diseases will eventually be cured thanks to AI. “I know this will be the most important work I ever touch,” he says.
Scoop: AI companies plot “the day after”
Not sure if this is comforting or extremely disconcerting.
Top executives at Anthropic, OpenAI and other AI companies are privately gaming out scenarios for a public and political revolt after a catastrophic AI event.
People really hate AI, so why can’t they get enough?
It’s a paradox we’ll probably be seeing more frequently: AI usage is increasing while skepticism of AI increases in tandem.
When people say they hate AI it’s not the technology they dislike but, rather, the relentless drive of the companies behind it to push the tech upon us in as many ways as possible. They’re telling us to brace for the biggest social and economic upheaval in generations.
![The couple from the distracted boyfriend meme. She is labelled "Us" and he is labelled, "Also Us."](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lHem!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2583a36c-aca8-4735-be48-21334e528b8f_807x454.webp "The couple from the distracted boyfriend meme. She is labelled "Us" and he is labelled, "Also Us."")
64% of Americans say AI is developing too fast—and 8 in 10 want the government to keep it under human control
A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that most Americans, 64%, think AI is developing “too fast,” while 27% say its development has been “about right” and only 8% say it’s moving “too slow.”
The New Siri’s Biggest Strength Is Not Intelligence
This is the problem I’m currently grappling with in some of the products I work with: how to make them truly useful by adding personal context.
A useful AI assistant needs relevant personal context, the capability to use it, and an experience that helps users understand its limits.
What Top Performers Do Differently with AI—and Why They See the Biggest Benefits
Generative AI has produced two competing views about which workers will benefit most. One view is that AI will narrow performance gaps by giving lower performers templates, answers, and coaching directly in their workflow. The other is that AI will widen those gaps by eliminating routine but necessary work, which will allow top performers to spend more time on higher-value activities where they already have an advantage.
Other Interesting Finds
Loneliness may steal nearly 6 years of good health
A large study suggests loneliness and social isolation can cost people years of healthy life, especially when it comes to mental health. Men experiencing both lost about 5.8 years free from depression and anxiety, while women lost roughly 3.7 years.