{
  "id": 7616373,
  "title": "Limit AI now or humanity will lose its agency, says Nobel laureate Ressa",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/limit-ai-now-or-humanity-will-lose-its-agency-says-nobel-laureate-7616373",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-15T18:57:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Economic Times Tech",
    "slug": "economic-times-tech",
    "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/limit-ai-now-or-humanity-will-lose-its-agency-says-nobel-laureate-ressa/articleshow/134272211.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a pervasive force in modern life, wielding significant influence over human attention and decision-making. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa warns that unless action is taken to regulate AI, it could ultimately strip individuals of their agency and autonomy. Ressa, co-chair of the UN's international scientific panel on AI, argues that the current trajectory of AI development must be halted through legislation, emphasizing that concerns over regulation are not about free speech but rather public safety. She contends that AI is not a new phenomenon, but rather one that has been evolving over the past seven decades, passing through three distinct phases. The first phase involved social media platforms monopolizing attention and exacerbating societal polarization, while the second phase saw the manipulation of human biology through intimate technologies like chatbots. The most recent wave, Ressa explains, represents the true threat, as agentic and multi-agentic AI systems threaten to take control away from humans themselves. In an effort to address this looming crisis, Ressa advocates for increased accountability among tech companies. She urges citizens to pressure politicians into implementing regulatory measures, emphasizing that the issue is not about freedom of speech but rather a matter of public safety. Ressa points to China as an example of a nation that places more safeguards on its citizens compared to Silicon Valley, citing the country's age restrictions on platforms like TikTok. She also highlights the recent legal actions taken against Meta Platforms, which resulted in a $18 billion settlement and strict limits on how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram. Ressa acknowledges the success of the European Union and countries like Australia in implementing age restrictions on social media, but contends that these measures do not fully address the fundamental issue at hand: the addictive nature of AI technologies. She argues that if these addictive features are not removed from platforms, the problem will persist, affecting not just young people but adults as well. To mitigate these risks, Ressa proposes the creation of public interest communication platforms built on open-source, secure, and decentralized protocols. She cites Rappler Communities, a mobile app launched in 2023, as an example of such a platform. By fostering real conversations among users, Rappler Communities aims to create safe digital spaces where individuals can engage in meaningful dialogue, ultimately contributing to the health of democratic societies.",
  "summary": "The Filipino and American journalist, who jointly won the 2021 award in part for her work documenting the power of large tech companies, serves as co-chair of the United Nations' international scientific panel on artificial intelligence, tasked with assessing how AI is transforming lives worldwide.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Investing.com",
        "title": "Limit AI now or humanity will lose its agency, says Nobel laureate Ressa",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/limit-ai-now-or-humanity-will-lose-its-agency-says-nobel-laureate",
        "published": "2026-09-15T14:13:24.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Limit AI now or humanity will lose its agency, says Nobel laureate Ressa",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/limit-ai-now-or-humanity-will-lose-its-agency-says-nobel-laureate-7569142",
        "published": "2026-09-15T14:20:27.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}