As one of today’s most forward-thinking artificial intelligence speakers, Nina is the author of Deepfakes: The Coming Infocalypse—the first book to examine the implications of synthetic media. With deep expertise at the intersection of AI, geopolitics, and global strategy, she has advised world leaders including President Joe Biden.
A sought-after technology speaker, Nina has played a pivotal role in shaping international discourse around data, digital democracy, and identity in the age of automation.
In this exclusive interview, Nina explores how generative AI is transforming business, creativity, and society—while highlighting the urgent need for ethical governance and its impact on politics and the future of work
Q: You’ve likened generative AI to a combustion engine for human creativity. In practical terms, how do you see this reshaping the global economy and future business models?
Nina Schick: “I think generative AI is absolutely going to transform the economy. This is a moment similar to perhaps 1993 when we were being told to prepare for the Internet, and 30 years ago we perhaps didn't understand in our naivety how the Internet would change business forever.
“Now, generative AI is like that, but an even bigger deal, because you can understand generative AI as almost a combustion engine for all human creative and intelligent activity. So every industry, every bit of productivity will be transformed by generative AI, and those use cases are emerging now.”
Q: With AI and big data now deeply embedded in everything from healthcare to policing, how urgent is the ethical conversation—and what should shape that discourse?
Nina Schick: “The question of ethics, AI, and big data is one that is going to become intensely political and will be a predominant issue for a long time from now on.
“Because you have this utterly transformative technology that I think will change the economy, the labour market, and actually the framework of society. So, the question about how to apply this technology in a fair, safe, and ethical way will be a dominant political issue.”
Q: The Metaverse has been framed as the next frontier for digital experiences. How do you see generative AI accelerating the viability and value of immersive technologies in business?
Nina Schick: “I think the Metaverse is this concept of where the Internet may go and how digital experiences might be perceived going forward, where it's far more immersive. However, the really interesting thing with AI is that AI is the actual vehicle that's going to allow us to build this kind of immersive digital experience or environments that are known as the Metaverse.
“So while the Metaverse is still an untested concept about where the Internet may go, what is definitely true right now is that AI is going to be the vehicle that will build the content that will go into this kind of immersive experience.”
Q: For leaders seeking to move beyond buzzwords and genuinely integrate AI, what mindset shift is required to enable meaningful digital transformation?
Nina Schick: “For businesses looking to digitally transform their mindset, you have to understand the conceptual paradigm change that is happening now with artificial intelligence. And once you have the conceptual framework in place, you can start to delve deep quickly.
“If you want to be competitive and have an advantage, this is the time to start looking at how generative AI can be applied in your business. So, there are many considerations you need to get into regarding your priority areas, long-term gains, not just short-term gains, and your long-term AI strategy.
“If you put together a generative AI working group to look into this, your business will be transformed and able to compete with other businesses that are using AI to transform their processes.”
Q: From election interference to algorithmic governance, in what ways is AI already influencing political systems—and why should this be a top concern for policymakers?
Nina Schick: “Again, when you think about how profound AI is in its ability to impact and change the framework of society, this AI revolution will become one of the most important political questions of our generation. We've already seen how the information revolution of the past 30 years, the Internet, smartphones, and cloud computing, have become major geopolitical forces shaping our world.
“Now, you add the AI revolution on top of that and the data powering it, and again, you have a seismic political issue that will be one of the most important things society needs to deal with in the next generation. So, when you ask about how it will impact politics, it will become politics.”
Q: As the first author to explore generative AI in depth, what originally signalled to you that this was not just a technological shift, but a societal and human inflection point?
Nina Schick: “The reason I was interested in AI is not because I'm a techie. I don't have a technical background. My background has always been in macro trends that are shaping society, geopolitics, and the world. This is why I started to research and write about AI.
“Ultimately, this isn't a story about technology. This is a story about humanity. The way that this exponential technology, which is built, amplified, and controlled by humans, is going to transform not only the way we work but the way we live. It's even going to change our very perception of what it means to be human.”
This exclusive interview with Nina Schick was conducted by Mark Matthews.