Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, recently penned an essay titled The Intelligence Age, where he envisions a future reshaped by AI technology.
A future where the extraordinary becomes routine and the impossible becomes reality. Altman predicts that this “magic” is just thousands of days away. It’s an exciting vision, one that opens the door to limitless possibilities. But as we stand on the precipice of this future, it calls for more than observation; it demands leadership, vision, and action. It also raises an important question: What becomes of human intelligence in this so-called Intelligence Age?
The Intelligence Age has the potential to unlock unprecedented human creativity and progress.
Sam Altman
At the Mensa Foundation, we’ve spent the last few years exploring intelligence from a lifespan perspective, embracing the concept of neurodiversity, and examining its role in diverse contexts such as the workplace. We’ve also conducted a groundbreaking study into the unmet needs of highly intelligent individuals. What we’ve learned is that intelligence is far more than computational capacity or cognitive skill.
Dr. David Dai, a former Mensa Foundation Colloquium speaker, provides valuable insight into this idea through his Emergent Complexity Theory. According to Dai, intelligence emerges over time as individuals adapt to their unique life experiences and derive meaning from them. In other words, intelligence is an adadaptive, evolving trait that evolves continuously, shaped by emotional, social, and neurodiverse factors.
This perspective aligns closely with the Mensa Foundation’s mission to unleash intelligence. We are not just observers of the AI revolution—we are active participants in shaping it.
The Intelligence Age isn’t just the evolution of AI and automation; it’s about rethinking what intelligence means and how we nurture it in ourselves. It’s about rethinking intelligence itself and how we cultivate it in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Intelligence enables us to adapt, connect, create, and interpret the world. Through our research, programs, and initiatives, the Foundation will:
- Expand the definition of intelligence to include its neurodiverse, social, emotional, and creative dimensions.
- Showcase how intelligence emerges and evolves over a lifetime, reflecting acquired wisdom and human potential.
- Provide resources to help individuals thrive in an AI-augmented world, ensuring they can adapt, lead, and innovate.
Altman’s essay imagines a future where AI augmentation enhances human intelligence, and we agree that this moment presents unparalleled opportunities. But the questions it raises are just as critical: How do we safeguard human qualities like creativity, empathy, and resilience in an AI-powered future, and how do we help individuals find purpose and thrive in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence?
The Mensa Foundation invites you to be part of this critical conversation. Join our first 2025 Speaker Series, where Dr. Peter Steeves will discuss Human Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence, and Personhood. Or attend our Colloquium in Chicago, where we’ll explore Human Intelligence in the Age of AI.
The Intelligence Age is here. Let’s shape it together.
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