Part 2/17:
Karen How, a seasoned journalist and MIT-educated engineer, provides a unique perspective on AI’s rise. Having studied mechanical engineering at MIT and then transitioned into journalism, she emphasizes that the powerful figures leading AI development are not mythical geniuses but individuals rooted in familiar environments. She recalls walking dorm halls with counterparts who now shape AI, reiterating that these figures are human—flawed and limited.
Her central insight is that technology results from human choices, with all their blind spots. The consolidation of immense technological influence within small, elite groups presents risks rooted in concentration of power—risks that are structurally fragile and potentially dangerous.