Reid Hoffman

Something I’ve realized about the ongoing debate on AI:

At the center of many tech debates is a fundamental concern about human agency—our ability to make choices and shape our own lives.

Concerned about job displacement? You’re probably worried about losing control over your livelihood.

Concerned about data privacy? You’re likely wondering whether your data is being used for you or against you.

Concerned about tech company influence? You may be questioning whether algorithms are serving your interest or theirs.

All of these concerns circle back to the same core issue: human agency.

The rise of AI is challenging the very concept of human agency. Will we shape our own destinies, or are we yielding control to intelligent systems?

How do we begin to understand this breakthrough technology? We need look no further than the smartphone revolution.

If smartphones didn't exist and were suddenly proposed today, imagine the headlines:

Big Tech to Release Device That Tracks Your Every Move

New Gadget Aims to Capture All Your Personal Data

Constant Connectivity: The End of Privacy as We Know It?

Yet, despite these valid concerns, smartphones have become ubiquitous. Why?

Because people recognize that while smartphones may limit certain aspects of their agency, they dramatically enhance it in others.

The ability to access information instantly, communicate with anyone around the globe, navigate unfamiliar territories, and carry a powerful computer in our pockets has expanded our capabilities in ways that were unimaginable just a few decades ago.

Now we have a new super-tool: AI.

Because an AI has the capacity to be agentic itself, setting goals and taking actions on its own to achieve them, you can leverage AI in two distinct ways:

1. Work closely with AI—e.g., learning a new language or practicing mindfulness.

2. Delegate tasks to AI—e.g., optimizing home energy use.

In either case, AI increases your agency. It helps you take actions that lead to outcomes you desire.

AI may change aspects of our lives in ways that may feel uncomfortable or even threatening, but we should also recognize the heroic gains in human capability—what I call "superagency."

Superagency is what happens when a critical mass of individuals, personally empowered by AI, begin to operate at levels that compound throughout society.

In other words, it's not just that some people are getting superpowers—becoming more informed and better-equipped thanks to AI. Everyone is, even those who rarely or never use AI directly.

How? Because the people and systems you rely on will be superpowered with AI, too.

Your physical therapist can create a personalized rehab plan that adapts based on your progress, pain levels, and wearable sensor data.

Public transit systems optimize bus routes and schedules in real time, making commutes smoother for everyone.

Even ATMs, parking meters, and vending machines become multilingual geniuses, instantly understanding your needs and adjusting to your preferences.

That’s a world of superagency, and we're already starting to see its contours in vivid and promising ways.

Good to see so many CEOs—Mark Cuban, Reed Hastings, Ken Frazier, Aaron Levie, and Ken Chenault, to name a few—join me to break down why VP Harris is better than former President Trump for business, for jobs, and for the American economy. https://t.co/vBocnBIdBs