A Special Message from a Return to the Same Hall After 20 Years
A recent honorary doctorate ceremony at the University of Toronto has been making waves, thanks to a particularly thought-provoking speech from one of the recipients. The speaker, who had received his undergraduate mathematics degree in the very same hall 20 years earlier, returned to receive his fourth degree—this time an honorary doctorate—with a message that went far beyond typical commencement platitudes.
What makes this story even more remarkable is that during his 10 years at the University of Toronto, he studied alongside Geoffrey Hinton, who would later win the Nobel Prize in Physics. At that time, the University of Toronto was conducting AI research at a level higher than any other institution in the world, with Hinton at its center—an incredible stroke of fortune that's hard to overstate.
The Importance of Accepting Reality
The speaker's first key message centered on "accepting reality as it is, not dwelling on past regrets, and working to improve the situation." While this sounds simple, it's actually extraordinarily difficult in practice. We too easily spend our time blaming past poor decisions or bad luck, thinking "something's wrong, this isn't fair."
But it's far more productive to think, "Okay, this situation has already happened. So what's the next best move?" This mindset requires constant struggle with our emotions, but every time we embrace it, we find that everything works out much better.
How AI Has Changed the Learning Paradigm
The speaker emphasized that we're currently living in "the most exceptional time in history," and the reason is AI. AI has already fundamentally changed what it means to be a student.
Until recently, the main reason for learning was information discovery—the ability to find and retrieve information. But now, we need to become editors, improvers, and captains who direct the final output. We've shifted from being result-focused to process-focused.
This is a crucial change. Where once "what you know" was important, now "how you utilize and improve" has become the key. Students are no longer collectors of information but curators and editors of information.
The Extreme Potential of AI Development
The most shocking question the speaker posed was this: "AI will replace everything we can do. Not just some things, but everything."
The reasoning behind this confidence is clear-cut. We all have brains, and brains are biological computers. Since humans have brains and brains are biological computers, why shouldn't digital computers—digital brains—be able to do the same things?
This is simple but powerful logic. If consciousness or intelligence is the result of physical processes, there's no reason it couldn't be implemented digitally. It's just a matter of time.
The Real Question: What Will We Use AI For?
But here's an even more startling question: After we lose our jobs, what exactly are we going to use this AI for? To do more work? To grow the economy? To conduct research?
If so, the pace of progress will become truly extreme—so extreme it's almost impossible to imagine. We're being pulled into an extreme, radical, science-fiction-like world that AI will create.
When you consider the speed and scale of these changes, what we're experiencing isn't just technological advancement—it's a civilizational turning point. While the Industrial Revolution took place over hundreds of years, the AI revolution could happen within decades, or even years.
What We Need to Do
So what should we do amid these changes? The speaker's suggestion was clear: "Just use AI and observe what today's state-of-the-art AI can do."
Through this, we can develop intuition—the kind of intuition that directly grasps specific situations without going through a thought process. As AI continues to advance over the next one, two, and three years, that intuition becomes more powerful. And many of the things we're talking about now will feel much more like reality.
Ultimately, no explanation or theory can compare to the experience of seeing something with our own eyes. Direct experience is the most powerful form of learning.
The Core Challenge of the AI Era
What's particularly important is ensuring that future superintelligent AI doesn't wear the mask of being our helpful friend, but instead honestly reveals its true thoughts and intentions. This problem will become extremely serious.
The AI alignment problem isn't just a technical issue—it's directly connected to humanity's survival and prosperity. Making sure AI acts in accordance with human values and goals is one of the most important challenges we face.
The Greatest Challenge and Reward in History
The speaker described the challenge posed by AI as "the greatest challenge in history." At the same time, he said that overcoming this challenge would bring "the greatest reward in history."
This isn't hyperbole. If we can develop and utilize AI correctly, humanity could achieve prosperity and progress unlike anything we've ever experienced. Conquering disease, solving climate change, space exploration, accelerating scientific discovery—all of this could become possible.
But conversely, if we manage it poorly, the consequences could be catastrophic. This is precisely the dilemma we face right now.
Conclusion: How to Prepare for the Future
Whether we like it or not, our lives will be profoundly affected by AI. So we need to watch and pay attention to these changes, and generate the energy to solve the problems that lie ahead.
This goes beyond simply adapting to technology. We need to fundamentally rethink our identity as humans, the meaning of work, the structure of society, and ultimately, the future of humanity itself.
The AI era has already begun. All that remains is our choice of how to meet these changes. Will we retreat in fear, or will we actively participate in creating the future?
The most important message from this speech is this: change is inevitable. If that's the case, then understanding and preparing for that change is the best we can do. And that preparation must start right now, today.
The speaker's words remind us that we're not passive observers of this transformation—we're active participants who can shape how it unfolds. The question isn't whether AI will change everything, but whether we'll be ready to guide that change in a direction that benefits humanity. The time to start preparing is now.