The reason AI is such a disruptive invention is that it sharply reduces the cost of intelligence. It could unlock great increases in productivity, or induce mass unemployment or violent revolution — because if a skilled professional working with AI agents can now produce as much as 500 of their peers, social and economic models are in for quite a shock.
For example, Anthropic says its latest AI model, Claude Mythos, can find vulnerabilities in cyber defences at a speed beyond most human intelligence. But does Mythos live up to the hype? Maybe, maybe not, but even if it is overhyped, something like it is around the corner. AI is already really good at coding, and will only get better. It will also, therefore, get better at finding and exploiting vulnerabilities in cyber security.
The good news for anyone worried about AI taking their job is that Mythos also provides a demonstration of how the technology may create employment opportunities. As AI improves cyber security, and as deepfakes and generative AI do an ever better job of impersonating human beings online, in-person verification is going to have to bear more, not less, weight.