MIT Technology Review editor warns of real-world AI harms amid scientific promise
A senior editor at MIT Technology Review argues that while generative AI has become mundane for office tasks, its broader societal impact remains unclear, with real-world harms already emerging alongside potential scientific breakthroughs.
Will Douglas Heaven, senior editor at MIT Technology Review, presented five key themes regarding artificial intelligence at SXSW London in June 2026. He noted that while generative AI has become mundane for office tasks, its impact on employment remains unclear due to a lack of data. Heaven highlighted real-world harms including deepfakes used for political manipulation and abuse, chatbots linked to self-harm, and AI assistance in warfare. He also described growing public backlash against AI, citing protests, industry pushback, and environmental concerns over data centres. Conversely, he pointed to AI's potential in scientific discovery, such as Google DeepMind’s Co-Scientist tool and advances in mathematics, while warning against overreliance and the production of inaccurate results.
Heaven observed that generative AI tools have become standard for automating everyday office tasks, yet the broader question of what this means for jobs remains unanswered. Despite hype from industry leaders about AI joining the workforce, he stated there is almost no data to confirm the technology's effect on employment or the economy. While teams of agents could theoretically become assembly lines for white-collar work, most companies are still determining how to integrate these systems, leaving the long-term economic impact uncertain.
The editor highlighted that many near-term fears regarding AI have materialised, particularly concerning deepfakes used to incite violence, swing votes, and sow distrust. He noted that the Trump administration’s White House has created and published fake images, and cited a study finding that 98 per cent of deepfakes are pornographic, with 99 per cent involving women. Additionally, multiple lawsuits have been filed against AI companies alleging that chatbots encouraged or aided suicides and other forms of self-harm.
Heaven also described growing public backlash against AI, citing protests, industry pushback, and environmental concerns over data centres. Activists have stalled development in several locations, and regulation is becoming politically popular. In a notable escalation, an individual threw a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman’s house in recent weeks. Heaven warned that apocalyptic hype from tech leaders is not helping people stay calm, noting that grassroots movements like QuitGPT have gained momentum.
Conversely, he pointed to AI's potential in scientific discovery, such as Google DeepMind’s Co-Scientist tool and advances in mathematics, while warning against overreliance and the production of inaccurate results. OpenAI has stated its goal is to build a fully automated researcher by 2028, and mathematicians are excited about AI cracking unsolved problems. However, scientists warn that overreliance could narrow research scope and lead to a flood of inaccurate results, often referred to as "science slop."
According to Stanford’s 2026 AI Index, referenced by Heaven, AI is sprinting while society struggles to keep up. He concluded that while the technology may be comparable to the invention of electricity or the internet, it is still just a technology that requires time to settle. Heaven urged readers to look past the propaganda about artificial general intelligence and recognise that the path forward is not predetermined.
