The Business Times
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THE BROAD VIEW

Holding the line between people and algorithms

Efficiency alone is not progress; technology must augment our humanity – not erode it

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    • Answering the fundamental question of how AI should serve humanity demands that we develop, share and nurture a common understanding of our core civic values.
    • Answering the fundamental question of how AI should serve humanity demands that we develop, share and nurture a common understanding of our core civic values. ILLUSTRATION: REUTERS

    Eugene K B Tan

    Published Sat, Jan 10, 2026 · 07:00 AM

    ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is becoming deeply embedded in our lives as it becomes more efficient, affordable and accessible. The workforce of the future will be a combination of people, intelligent agents and robots.

    Fuelled by market capitalism and the quest for strong productivity gains, AI’s growth, development and influence will be amplified. This convergence of technology and capitalism, or “technological capitalism”, is fuelling record investments and usage.

    But is the line between people and algorithms blurring, and should we be concerned? Will humanity become soulless if this distinction no longer exists? The issues posed by AI are novel and yet familiar. How we use these technologies will matter immensely.

    Artificial IntelligenceAI governanceRegulationSocietyHuman rights

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