At the expo’s Founder Talk Forum, Zack Kass, former Head of Go-To-Market for OpenAI and Global AI Advisor, stated that we are entering a new era in self-discovery.
Here’s some insights from Kass’s session: The human advantage in the age of AI
AI has advanced at a rapid pace over the past few years. Kass stressed that the real world-changing moment doesn’t come from the leap in performance, but rather how we use it. ChatGPT, OpenAI’s chatbot software, is a great example.
While large models existed previously, it wasn’t till ChatGPT that people began to engage with AI using natural, human-like languages. This marked a change from the “augmentation” phase, where AI merely boosted human productivity to the “agent” phase, where AI began executing tasks for people. Kass explained that the next phase of AI will be the rise in autonomous AI agents who operate across web pages and applications, databases, and databases. They will become true digital assistants.
From simple statistical models to general-purpose systems that are capable of mathematical reasoning and multimodal tasks like long-form generation and multimodal task, AI is rapidly progressing towards general intelligence – at minimal cost. Kass said that when GPT-4 first launched, it cost US$60 for a million tokens. Today, the price is only US$1.40. Tokens are words that AI models can use to process language. The price drop indicates that AI will become an infrastructure, like electricity, water, or the internet, available on demand.
The internet is already being reshaped by this shift. Websites are designed today for human consumption. In the near future content will be increasingly structured for AI to parse and read–raw text and metadata, as well as Application Programming Interfaces that enable software applications to exchange data and communicate. While the majority of information will flow between machines, humans can interact with AI through natural language, visuals and possibly even brain-computer interactions.
Kass introduced a powerful terminology for this emerging reality: “Unmetered Intelligence”—a world where intelligence is infinitely accessible, without being tracked or billed per unit. Just as we no longer count every megabyte we use online, we won’t worry about how many tokens or compute cycles AI consumes. Intelligence will be ambient—always available, everywhere, embedded in the fabric of daily life.
This also means we must fundamentally rethink what makes humans unique, he added. When intelligence and knowledge can be copied, scaled, and shared effortlessly, what remains distinctly human?
Kass offered a deeply personal answer: He is about to become a father.
“AI won’t make me a better dad. My child needs love, attention, presence—not a smarter parent,” Kass said, adding that AI may simulate emotion or provide advice, but it cannot replicate human warmth, empathy, or moral judgment.
Education, therefore, must evolve, according to Kass. Instead of merely imparting knowledge or vocational skills, the focus will shift to values, critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence. Meanwhile, leadership will no longer be about having the most answers, but about unlocking the potential in others.
“No one wants AI to tell jokes for them or to make them brave, those are human qualities,” Kass said.
During his remarks, Kass also had a message for young people: Don’t treat university like a shortcut to wealth. Study what you’re passionate and curious about. Learn how to think and learn. That will outlast any hot major that may be obsolete in five years.
As he wrapped up, Kass urged his audience to tell better stories. He added that the narrative around AI doesn’t have to be dominated by fear or dystopia. The world may be on the cusp of curing cancer, fixing education, and addressing global inequality. But for that future to materialize, he said that we must believe in it, build toward it, and share those possibilities with others.
AI will change everything, but some things will always remain human, Kass concluded.
