Being Human
Will AI diminish us—or make us more ourselves?
A new report from Elon University’s Imagining the Digital Future Center warns that AI is on track to reshape not just how we live and work but who we are at our core. While some traits like curiosity and creativity may thrive, others essential to our humanity—like empathy, agency, and deep thinking—are at risk without deliberate intervention.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The way we live, work, and relate to one another is changing—and artificial intelligence is partly to blame. A new report, Being Human in 2035, released by the Imagining the Digital Future Center at Elon University, puts a fine point on the transformation already underway. It’s a sweeping look at how AI will shape us—not just what we do, but who we are becoming.
If you think this is about smarter chatbots or digital assistants that sound more human, think again. This is about the long game. It’s about how deeply embedded AI will be in our homes, schools, relationships, and jobs by the next decade—and what that means for the essential traits that make us human.
The findings, based on insights from 301 technology experts, futurists, and ethicists from around the world, are sobering. According to the report, the vast majority believe that AI will reshape most aspects of our behavior and identity. And while some of these changes may be positive, many won’t be.
Human Traits at Risk
Let’s start with what could be lost.
The experts agree on one thing: our overreliance on machines may gradually corrode some of our most essential human traits. Nine out of twelve dimensions of human behavior studied in the report are expected to trend negative by 2035. Among the most concerning?
Social and emotional intelligence. The more time we spend interacting with algorithmically-optimized digital companions, the less time we spend learning how to read actual humans.
Deep thinking. With AI tools increasingly able to digest complex information, solve problems, and anticipate our needs, our own muscles for deep thought and reflection may atrophy.
Empathy and moral judgment. When machines start making consequential decisions on our behalf, we risk losing the very skills we need to make those decisions wisely ourselves.
Sense of purpose and identity. As AI redefines how we work, how we learn, and even how we love, we’ll be forced to confront some deeply existential questions. What makes us… us?
Other traits flagged as being under threat include trust in shared values, confidence in our own abilities, our mental well-being, and our sense of agency.
This is a future that requires caution. But it’s not all doom and dystopia.
There Are Bright Spots
Despite the risks, the report also surfaces areas where AI could bolster human capacity—especially if we act intentionally. Three traits stood out as likely to improve:
Curiosity and learning. AI has the potential to democratize access to knowledge like never before, opening new doors for education, discovery, and exploration.
Decision-making and problem-solving. With better data and predictive models, humans can make more informed and nuanced decisions.
Creativity. Yes, AI can write poems and generate art. But it can also augment our own imaginations, serving as a collaborator rather than a competitor.
Still, the tension is clear. AI could empower us—or it could erode us. The difference comes down to the choices we make today.
A Turning Point
It’s worth noting that 61% of the experts surveyed believe the changes coming by 2035 will be either “deep and meaningful” or “fundamental and revolutionary.” That’s a strong signal that we are at a turning point—not just in technological terms, but in human ones.
Some believe we’ll strike a balance. About half of the respondents expect AI’s impact on human traits to be both positive and negative in fairly equal measure. But nearly a quarter are more pessimistic, predicting a future in which our fundamental humanity could be weakened by constant digital mediation. Only 16% express a mostly optimistic outlook.
That mix of hope and hesitation runs through many of the expert essays featured in the report. Nell Watson, president of the European Responsible Artificial Intelligence Office, warns of “AI companions perfectly calibrated to individual psychological needs.” It sounds like a dream—until you realize those perfectly-tuned companions might make human relationships seem clumsy or even obsolete by comparison.
Others, like researcher Bryan Alexander, raise concerns about what happens when we rely too heavily on machines to regulate our lives. “AI is already training us,” he notes, “to be more willing to give up our agency.” That’s not a shift we should take lightly.
What Kind of Future Do We Want?
What’s clear from the report is that AI is a new kind of force that will fundamentally reshape how we live, think, and relate to each other.
But the future isn’t set in stone. Yes, technology is advancing rapidly, but we still have choices. The biggest variable isn’t the machines—it’s us. How we design, regulate, and interact with AI will determine whether it deepens our humanity or dilutes it.
We can choose to build systems that prioritize transparency, equity, and empathy. We can teach digital literacy alongside the fundamentals, like reading, writing and arithmetic. We can design work environments where humans and machines collaborate—not compete. And we can make space in our lives, and our societies, to nurture the very traits AI can’t replicate: compassion, wisdom, courage, and connection.
That’s the real challenge—and opportunity—of the AI age.
If we could see into the future Bradley, how sci-fi would it look? Would it likely inspire optimism and anticipation or dread and anxiety?