There’s a lot of fear around AI right now – especially in creative and environmental spaces. I understand it. I’ve felt it too. The headlines can be overwhelming, and the pace of change feels unsettling. It’s easy to believe that something powerful is speeding forward without us, or worse, against us.
But fear grows in the dark, and I don’t think AI is the enemy many people imagine it to be. I don’t think AI is here to replace us. It’s here to amplify us, if we choose to use it wisely.
This post explores three possible paths for the next ten years; the good, the bad, and the ugly. I share my personal perspective on creativity, environmental responsibility, and why I believe the future can be shaped for the better.
When we approach change with clarity rather than fear, we keep our power.
An optimistic perspective: What AI could genuinely help us achieve
Used well, AI has the potential to support some of humanity’s biggest challenges. Over the next decade, we’re likely to see AI meaningfully assist with these key areas.
Healthcare breakthroughs
AI is aiding healthcare professionals with earlier disease detection, faster drug discovery and personalised treatment plans. Imagine treatment tailored to you rather than trial and error from our current one-size fits all approach.
Researchers at MIT and McMaster University in the USA have identified a new compound called Enterolonlin. It works far more precisely for people living with inflammatory bowel disease, where antibiotics can be problematic. Enterolonlin targets the specific bacteria linked to Crohn’s Disease flare-ups, while largely leaving the rest of the microbiome untouched. What’s especially exciting is that generative AI helped researchers understand how it works in a matter of months when it would usually take years. This means it can be rolled out much more quickly to patients in need of treatment. Read more.
Accessible education
AI tutors are making learning more accessible globally. I’m particularly interested in this as a neurodiversity advocate.
Personalised education could be a game-changer for leveling the playing field for kids with diverse learning needs. Real examples of Ai tutors include; Khan Academy’s AI tutor “Khanmigo”, which uses GPT-4 to personalise student support in subjects like maths and writing, helping learners engage at their own pace. DreamBox tailors lessons to students’ performance, effectively offering personalised instructions that mimic one-on-one tutoring.
AI doesn’t have to replace learning. When designed well, it can actually protect it by guiding thinking instead of generating answers.
More regulation is needed to combat issues like plagiarism, where students use AI to generate course work. This is what gives AI a bad rep with regards to education, but we can’t ignore the potential it has for enhancing learning.
Climate modeling & disaster prediction
Ai can improve forecasting for floods, fires, storms, and heatwaves as well as fast-tracking the development of climate friendly initiatives.
In Taiwan, weather forecasters have been using AI models to track typhoons, and data shows these models can be around 20% more accurate in predicting storm tracks than traditional methods. This gives authorities more time and confidence in planning responses. Read more
Cities are using AI tools like Google’s Tree Canopy mapping technology that combine aerial imagery and machine learning to map, manage and expand tree cover, improving heat resilience and ecological health in over 350 cities.
AI can also layer soil, hydrology and climate data to model ecosystem restoration scenarios, helping planners choose the most effective rewilding strategies. Read more
Recommended documentary: What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates
If you’re interested in a grounded, optimistic, and realistic exploration of what technology could help us achieve, I’d recommend watching What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates on Netflix.
It explores global challenges, from climate to health, and offers a refreshing reminder that progress doesn’t have to come at the cost of humanity.
The Bad: Real Challenges We Can’t Ignore
Optimism doesn’t mean denial. AI does pose real challenges, including:
- Job disruption in certain industries
- Misinformation and deepfakes
- Oversaturation of low-quality digital content
- Psychological overwhelm and anxiety
- Increased energy use from large data centres
- Unequal access to AI tools and education
These issues deserve serious attention, but they are not reasons to reject AI outright. They are reasons to engage thoughtfully and regulate responsibly.
The Ugly: What happens if we do nothing
If AI development is left entirely unchecked, the risks deepen:
- Artists’ work scraped without consent
- Identity theft through deepfake technology
- Environmental costs escalating unnecessarily
- Cultural spaces flooded with synthetic content
- Increased distrust in media and institutions
This isn’t inevitable, but it is what happens when society disengages rather than participates.
And there are encouraging signs that regulation is possible.
Regulation Is Possible: A Real Example from Denmark
In 2025, Denmark proposed legislation that would give citizens copyright over their own face, voice, and likeness, allowing people to challenge and remove AI-generated deepfakes created without consent.
This is a significant step forward. It proves that governments can respond to AI risks with nuance and human dignity at the centre.
It also strengthens the case for protecting artists, performers, and everyday people in an AI-driven world.
Current UK AI Regulation Initiatives – What’s Happening Now
The UK Government has published a foundational policy framework titled “A pro‑innovation approach to AI regulation”. It sets out five guiding principles for how regulators should govern AI, including safety, transparency, fairness, accountability, and redress. This isn’t yet legislation, but it is the basis for future rules. You can read the white paper on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-regulation-a-pro-innovation-approach/white-paper
More than 100 UK parliamentarians from various parties have publicly called for regulations on powerful AI systems, arguing that current approaches are too slow and reactive. Read the article on The Guardian
This is significant because it shows UK lawmakers from different viewpoints agree that stronger, enforceable rules are needed, which puts pressure on the government to speed up action.
I share the view that the current approach is too slow, but it is reassuring to know these discussions are happening.
My stance on AI Art: AI should not create art
This is something I feel strongly about.
Art is not just output, it is human experience, story, memory, emotion, context, and intention. It carries fingerprints, perspective, and lived reality.
AI can generate images but it cannot create art in the true sense of the word.
Art has value because a human was there – feeling, noticing, translating something meaningful into form.
AI-generated “art,” especially when trained on scraped human work without consent, undermines creative labour and cultural integrity. I believe this space urgently needs regulation to protect artists and ensure ethical boundaries.
That said, AI as a creative tool is different.
Used for editing, research, planning, accessibility, or workflow support, AI can empower artists rather than replace them. This distinction is really important.
The Environmental Question: Can AI Be Sustainable?
AI does have an environmental cost. Large models require energy, and data centres contribute to emissions. Ignoring this would be irresponsible. But AI also holds potential to reduce environmental harm when designed well.
Solutions already being explored include:
- Renewable-powered data centres
- More energy-efficient AI models
- Carbon-aware computing
- On-device AI that reduces cloud reliance
- AI-optimised energy grids and buildings
- Greater transparency around AI energy use
AI will either deepen environmental strain or help alleviate it — depending on regulation, innovation, and collective values.
Technology reflects the priorities of those who build and use it.
Why rejecting AI isn’t the answer
Fear is understandable, but rejection creates distance, not safety.
AI is becoming woven into healthcare, education, government, climate science, and work. Opting out entirely doesn’t protect us; it leaves decisions in the hands of fewer people.
Curiosity leads to agency. Understanding leads to influence.
When thoughtful, creative, environmentally conscious people engage with AI, they help shape how it’s used. We have more power than we think, but not if we disengage.
Humanity Still Holds the Pen
AI has no consciousness. No moral compass. No lived experience. But we do.
Meaning, ethics, creativity, empathy, connection, and care remain uniquely human. In fact, as technology accelerates, these qualities become more valuable, not less so.
The future isn’t something happening to us. It’s something we’re actively co-creating.
Final Thoughts
There is far too much fear-driven conversation around AI, especially in creative and environmental spaces.
Understanding doesn’t mean endorsement. Optimism doesn’t mean blindness. Using AI wisely doesn’t mean losing our humanity. In fact, it’s the opposite.
When we stay grounded, curious, and values-led, we help shape a future that honours both innovation and the Earth, technology and art, progress and presence.
And that future is still very much ours to create. I truly believe that.
Thanks for reading – have a beautiful day
Faine
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