Limit AI now or humanity will lose its agency, says Nobel laureate Ressa

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa warns that artificial intelligence, driven by social media and our biology, risks stripping us of our agency unless immediate legislative action is taken. Ressa, co-chair of the United Nations' international scientific panel on AI, argues that citizens should pressure politicians for regulation to safeguard public safety, not just freedom of speech.

She explains that AI has three stages: capturing attention via social media, manipulating intimacy through chatbots, and ultimately taking control via agentic AI. Ressa dismisses concerns from U.S. President Donald Trump about losing the AI race to China as "good spin." She emphasizes the need for accountability from tech companies and praises recent lawsuits against Meta Platforms that limited teen usage.

Ressa also supports EU and Australian efforts to impose age limits on social media but cautions that these measures do not address the addictive features of AI tools, which affect adults as well. She proposes the creation of communication platforms outside Big Tech control, similar to Rappler Communities, a secure and decentralized open-source app that fosters safe digital conversations.