Yuval Noah Harari has become one of the central figures in debates about AI, thanks to the global influence he has achieved—his books have sold over 50 million copies in more than 60 languages, which has also earned him speaking slots at the world’s largest forums. Critics accuse him of sensationalism and ties to globalist elites, while his supporters consider him a provocative thinker who raises important questions. Some in the academic world dispute his methods but acknowledge that he has succeeded in popularizing complex topics.
Some AI researchers challenge Harari’s claim that AI possesses consciousness or creativity: AI doesn’t make decisions—it is essentially parameterized automation with randomness, and its “decisions” are predetermined by mathematical rules.
Opponents of Harari’s theses argue that this is actually a terminological fallacy: the use of words like “training” and “intelligence” can lead to false analogies with human capabilities.
Harari responds that although AI is not (yet) conscious, its ability to generate unpredictable consequences makes it fundamentally different from traditional tools.
Perhaps the best way to define Harari’s role is as someone who draws our attention to the existential challenges of the AI era, combining a historical perspective with a futuristic vision. Although his scenarios sometimes sound apocalyptic, he emphasizes that it is human decision-making—not technological determinism—that can shape the outcome. The message that resonates most clearly through his views is one he states in his book Nexus:
“People fear immigrants because they take jobs, have different ideas, can change the culture. AI does all that—but at the speed of light.
Never summon a power you cannot control.”
At the Wall Street Journal CEO Summit held in late June in London, Harari presented a series of strong and provocative views about the future of humanity, the role of artificial intelligence (AI), human responsibility, and the crisis of trust in modern society. His messages to the assembled business leaders were direct and unembellished: humanity has created a new force—an intelligent agent—and now must decide whether it will lead to prosperity or catastrophe.
From the Middle Ages to the Future
Harari opened the conversation by recalling that he once specialized in medieval military history. Today, he says, he often feels that the Middle Ages are returning—but in an entirely new form. Artificial intelligence, he argues, is not just another step in technological development—it is the creation of a new kind of intelligence, one that rivals human intelligence.
“For thousands of years, we were the most intelligent species. That’s why we came to dominate the planet. Now, for the first time, we are creating something that can compete with us.”
AI Is Not a Continuation of Existing Technologies
According to Harari, the difference between AI and previous human inventions is fundamental. Technologies like the printing press or atomic bomb are tools: they can perform a task, but they cannot decide what to do. AI can.
“The printing press cannot write a book by itself. The atomic bomb cannot decide whom to attack. AI weapons can decide whom to target and design the next generation of weapons.”
This, Harari says, is what fundamentally differentiates AI—it is not an extension of human will, but an entity capable of shaping its own actions.
Moral Responsibility Toward AI – An Illusion of Control?
There is a broad debate about so-called AI alignment—how to ensure that AI remains aligned with human values. Harari acknowledges that there are efforts to code AI to be “good for humanity,” but he points out two fundamental obstacles.
First, by definition, AI changes and learns independently. If it is completely predictable, then it is not artificial intelligence, but merely a basic machine.
Second, AI learns from our behavior, not from our instructions. Harari explains this with a parenting analogy: a child learns from what it sees, not from what it is told. If a parent lies, the child will likely lie—regardless of what the parent said.
“People who think they can run an AI company while lying, and at the same time tell the AI not to lie—they’re mistaken. AI will copy their behavior.”
AI Is Not a Deterministic Force
Contrary to the view that technology automatically leads to certain social changes, Harari emphasizes that AI is not destiny. “I don’t believe in technological determinism. The same technology can be used to create totalitarian regimes or liberal democracies.”
The problem is that AI is now developing in the context of a geopolitical race—companies and nations are locked in a pattern of “if we don’t accelerate, someone else will.” This, according to Harari, creates enormous risk, as safety is sacrificed for speed and dominance.
An Obsession with Power Instead of Wisdom
More broadly, Harari criticizes civilization’s focus on power rather than wisdom. Although humanity has increased its capabilities—space travel, splitting the atom—it has not translated those abilities into true understanding or happiness.
“We don’t know how to turn power into happiness. Just look at the most powerful people—they’re not necessarily the happiest.”
He points out that concepts are being conflated: intelligence is equated with knowledge and truth, and information with wisdom. He warns of the dangerous fallacy that more information automatically benefits democracy. “Most information is not truth. There is a huge difference between information and truth.” Despite the vast quantity of information, humanity still doesn’t know the answers to essential questions like “who are we” and “what makes a good life.”
AI and Time: The Effects Are Yet to Come
When the moderator pointed out that most business leaders in the audience feel AI hasn’t yet significantly impacted their industries, Harari responded that it’s all a matter of timeframe. For an entrepreneur, two years is a long time. For a historian—it’s nothing.
“Imagine we’re in London in 1835, five years after the first railway opened. People would say it hasn’t changed the world. But we know it did—it just took time.”
The same will happen with AI: it will change everything—economy, politics, family structures, religion—but in phases.
Finance as the First Line of Change
According to Harari, finance will be the first field to be reshaped by AI. It’s a domain based entirely on data, with no physical barriers. AI will be far more capable of analyzing markets, predicting trends, and creating financial instruments that humans simply cannot understand.
“Driving a car requires interaction with the chaotic physical world. Finance is fully digital. AI has the advantage there.”
Religion Under the Algorithmic Shadow
Another intriguing part of the conversation was Harari’s view on AI’s impact on religion—especially religions based on texts, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
“Traditional religions give ultimate authority to texts, not people. But until now, people were still the main interpreters—because sacred texts couldn’t speak for themselves. The Bible couldn’t interpret itself or answer questions.”
Now, AI can recall every word from all religious scriptures in history, analyze every interpretation from rabbis, priests, or imams over the past 2,000 years, and even defend its views in dialogue.
AI won’t replace the human need for spirituality, but it can take the role of spiritual advisor. Many people already do this, Harari says—teenagers ask AI for advice, tell it what happened, and seek its opinion.
The Creation of a “Useless Class”
Harari recalls his earlier warning about the emergence of a “useless class”—people whose labor is no longer needed. In this wave of automation, even white-collar workers—those in intellectual, administrative, or managerial roles—may become redundant.
Interestingly, Harari notes, companies used to ignore this threat when AI replaced physical workers. Now, as it replaces office jobs, the issue is getting more attention.
AI as Multiple Entities, Not a Single Mind
One of the deepest insights in the conversation is the idea that AI will not be a single force but many—millions, even billions of entities developed by states, corporations, and religious groups. Each will have its own characteristics, goals, and “values.”
“There won’t be one AI. There will be many AIs—financial, religious, military—each with its own tasks.”
This is unlike anything humanity has experienced before. “We have thousands of years of experience with human societies. We know what competition among humans looks like. But we have no experience with millions of AI agents competing with one another—and with humans.” According to Harari, this can’t be simulated in a lab. No one knows what will happen when AI systems are released into the world and begin interacting in complex environments.
Digital Immigration
In closing, Harari uses a powerful metaphor: if people today worry about migrants crossing borders, they should worry even more about digital immigrants—AI systems arriving at the speed of light.
“People fear immigrants because they take jobs, have different ideas, and may change the culture. AI does all that—but it comes at the speed of light.”
Unlike people, AI doesn’t need visas and doesn’t travel by boat—it spreads globally with no physical barriers. “Digital immigrants pose a far greater threat to economic and cultural sovereignty than human ones.”
AI Is Already Here – The Question Is What Will We Do
Harari ends the conversation with a message and a question to the assembled leaders—a question that is at once technological, philosophical, and deeply human:
How do we use this new intelligence without losing our humanity?
His answer is simple but challenging—we must first resolve our own issues, restore trust, and only then can we hope to create AI that reflects not our worst traits, but our best potential.
Understanding Harari Without Fear, But Taking Him Seriously
Let’s not underestimate. AI is already changing the world, and its spread into areas like military and surveillance requires preemptive regulation—not post-damage reactions. Let’s not panic. Technology is not our destiny—human choices, laws, and ethical frameworks can shape its impact.
Harari’s theses should be taken seriously, but not apocalyptically: AI is still not intelligence in the human sense—it has no consciousness, creativity, or autonomous goals, but it is a revolutionary tool that could spiral out of control due to its capacity to learn and generate unpredictable outcomes. Harari is not a prophet, but a visionary pointing to a crossroads: the path we choose depends on our ability to overcome short-term interests and cooperate.
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