AI Radar: Between Utopias, Dystopias and the Race for More Accessible Models

The world of Artificial Intelligence continues to be in turmoil, with important developments occurring simultaneously on multiple fronts. The past 24 hours have brought a fascinating mix of news that reveals not only the technological advances but also the deep human contradictions behind the AI revolution.

Conflicting views on our future with AI

The Mobile World Congress in Barcelona was the scene of an interesting contrast that reflects the current state of AI. On one side, futurologist Ray Kurzweil, known for his optimistic predictions about technology, reinforced his vision that AI will radically transform our existence for the better. On the other, Professor Scott Galloway warned about the social dangers of these same technologies.

Kurzweil, keeping with his line of thought, predicted that AI will power genetic discoveries and medical advances that could dramatically increase our life expectancy by 2032. He also highlighted how technologies like autonomous driving will reduce accidents to almost zero. It's techno-optimism in its purest form.

Galloway focused on social risks, especially in the loneliness that algorithms can promote among young people, and criticized big tech leaders for not openly discussing the risks of the technology they develop. According to Folha de S.Paulo, the debate exemplifies the divergences over how AI will impact our social relationships.

As I have been saying for years in my work with innovation ecosystems, this polarization between technological utopia and dystopia rarely helps us build a balanced path. Reality tends to manifest itself in shades of gray, with benefits and risks coexisting — and our ability to direct technology toward the common good depending much more on social and regulatory choices than on technological determinisms.

60 hour week to win the AI race?

One of the most controversial news stories of the day came from Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Amid intense competition for AI leadership, Brin suggested that employees should work 60-hour weeks if the company is to win the race for artificial general intelligence (AGI).

According to a report by Hardware.com.brBrin, who has returned to being an active participant in AI discussions at Google, argued that in-person collaboration among employees is essential to leading in this field. He has returned to the office himself and has encouraged his team to do the same.

This proposal represents a worrying setback for the technology sector. After years of moving towards more balanced work models, especially after the pandemic, we have seen a movement towards returning to the office and longer working hours.

As an entrepreneur who has been following the development of technology for more than two decades, I can say that sustainable innovation does not come from exhaustion and extreme sacrifice, but from environments that foster creativity, well-being and purpose. Teams that work 60-hour weeks regularly don’t produce better results in the long run — they just burn out faster.

It’s precisely this kind of “work hard at all costs” culture that I’ve been helping startups avoid in my mentoring sessions. True productivity comes more from the intelligence in how you use your time than from the sheer quantity of time.

The race for cheaper and more accessible AI models

In more encouraging news, Valor Econômico reports that OpenAI, Microsoft and Meta are accelerating the production of cheaper AI models by using a process called “distillation” to create more affordable versions of their systems.

This trend is extremely positive for the ecosystem. Cheaper models mean democratization of access to AI, allowing small and medium-sized companies to incorporate these technologies into their processes and products. The barrier to entry for startups decreases, and innovation spreads beyond large corporations.

In the digital transformation projects I have followed, I see that the cost of implementing AI-based solutions is still a significant obstacle for many Brazilian companies. Reducing these costs can dramatically accelerate the adoption and development of local use cases.

China accelerates its investments in AI

Meanwhile, global competition continues in full swing. According to Poder360, the city of Shenzhen, a major Chinese technology hub, announced an industrial fund of US$1.39 billion to support the development of artificial intelligence and robotics.

The fund will be part of a broader effort to strengthen the city’s position as a global hub for AI innovation, with a focus on software, hardware and embedded intelligence. The funding will cover up to 60% of computing power costs for local companies, with a cap of 10 million yuan per company.

This move reinforces how seriously China takes its strategic investments in AI. The geopolitical struggle for technological leadership between China and the US continues to shape the global AI landscape, with impacts that we will feel for decades.

For us in Brazil, this serves as a reminder that we need to increase our public and private investments in AI research and development if we want to have any relevance in this new economy. In my work with innovation ecosystems, I often encounter Brazilian entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas, but who face a much more timid investment environment than their international competitors.

AI in education: Santander launches Excel course with AI

In an initiative that connects education and technology, Correio Braziliense reported that Santander Universities, in partnership with DIO, launched a free scholarship program to train professionals in the use of Excel with a focus on Artificial Intelligence.

The 26-hour course will cover everything from basic concepts to advanced techniques, including creating interactive dashboards and applying advanced formulas. Among the projects developed, the creation of an income tax return organizer and a sales dashboard stand out.

This is an extremely relevant initiative. Combining traditional tools like Excel with the new capabilities of AI represents exactly the kind of bridge we need to build. between existing workforce skills and future competencies.

In my work with companies undergoing digital transformation, I often observe that the biggest challenge is not the adoption of completely new technologies, but the incremental evolution of tools already mastered by employees. Initiatives like this one by Santander help to democratize access to knowledge and prepare professionals for an increasingly demanding market.

AI and fleet management: transforming logistics and transportation

In the logistics sector, Estadão reports How AI is revolutionizing commercial fleet management. According to experts, the use of artificial intelligence is optimizing every stage of transportation operations.

Geotab, a company specializing in telemetry, uses AI in its Geotab Ace system, which works as an assistant integrated into the MyGeotab platform and monitors connected vehicles in real time. Sean Killen, the company’s vice president for Latin America, highlighted that the system compiles a massive amount of information daily that would be impossible to analyze quickly without AI.

Benefits include cost reduction, predictive maintenance and preventing mechanical failures before they occur, resulting in less downtime and lower repair costs.

This case perfectly illustrates what I consider the most productive path for AI: not the replacement of workers, but the expansion of their capabilities. Technology enables professionals to make more informed decisions and focus their time on higher value-added activities.

When AI and accents meet in call centers

Some curious news comes from the customer service sector. According to the State of Minas, Teleperformance, a global leader in call center services, is using AI to soften the accents of Indian agents, seeking to improve customer understanding and reduce service times.

The company, which serves clients such as Apple, ByteDance and Samsung, aims to optimize the user experience and increase operational efficiency with this technology. At the same time, the film industry has also adopted this technology, as in the film “The Brutalist”, nominated for an Oscar in 2025, which used AI to improve the actors’ Hungarian accents.

This application raises fascinating questions about cultural identity, linguistic standardization and communication efficiency. On the one hand, it facilitates global communication; on the other, it can represent a form of cultural erasure.. As with many AI applications, we need to balance practical benefits with broader ethical considerations.

Human behavior in the face of AI

Finally, a behavioral curiosity: according to IGN Brazil, around 70% of AI users are polite when interacting with chatbots like ChatGPT. A survey conducted by Future among over 1,000 people in the US and UK revealed that the majority of users adopt a polite tone with AI assistants.

In the US, 67% of people are polite to AI, while in the UK the figure is 71%. The figures are higher than those of a previous study carried out three months earlier, suggesting a growing trend of polite behaviour towards AI.

This phenomenon reflects something I constantly observe in my studies on the human-machine relationship: we tend to anthropomorphize AI interfaces, attributing human characteristics to them even though we know they are algorithms. This trend can be positively explored in the design of more natural and engaging interfaces.

The AI landscape: between optimism and caution

The news of the last 24 hours reflects well the current moment of AI: a rapidly evolving field, with immense transformative potential, but also full of challenges and contradictions.

On the one hand, we see promising technological advances and applications that can significantly improve our businesses and our quality of life. On the other, we see ethical, social and labor issues that we need to address seriously.

For entrepreneurs and business leaders, this moment calls for cautious optimism. It is important to seize the opportunities that AI offers, but always with an ethical and humanistic perspective that puts people at the center of decisions.

In my mentoring and consulting with startups and companies undergoing digital transformation, I have emphasized the importance of a balanced approach: use AI as a tool to enhance human capabilities, not to replace them. Organizations that achieve this balance will be best positioned to thrive in this new era.

What do you think of this panorama? How is AI impacting your business or career? Share in the comments or get in touch to discuss how I can help your organization navigate these transformations.