AI isn’t just impacting the choices we make at work, but for some people at the forefront of this revolution, it’s impacting choices in personal life as well.
In a startling admission that blurs the line between technological ambition and personal life planning, Alexandr Wang, the CEO of AI data-labeling giant Scale AI, has revealed he is intentionally delaying having children. His reason? He’s waiting for the maturation of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, akin to Elon Musk’s Neuralink. Wang’s rationale offers a glimpse into a future where human enhancement is not just a theoretical concept, but a tangible consideration for the next generation. Wang is just 28, and has sold nearly half of the stake in his company, Scale AI, for an estimated $14 billion to Meta.
“Basically, I wanna wait to have kids until we figure out how Neuralink or other, what’s called brain-computer interfaces… until they start working,” Wang explained. He elaborated on the science behind his reasoning: “First is, in your first like seven years of life, your brain is more neuroplastic than at any other point in your life, by an order of magnitude. I think when we get Neuralink and we get these other technologies, kids who are born with them are gonna learn how to use them in crazy, crazy ways. Like it’ll be actually a part of their brain in a way that it’ll never be true for an adult who gets like a Neuralink or whatever hooked into their brain.”
At the core of his argument is the starkly different pace of biological evolution versus technological advancement. “Humans, we’re only evolving at a certain rate,” Wang noted. “Humans will get smarter over time. It’s just on the timescale of like millions of years because natural selection and evolution is really slow.” He contrasts this with the exponential growth of artificial intelligence. “So if you play this forward, right, you’re gonna have AIs that are going to continue getting smarter, continue improving… they’re gonna keep improving really quickly. And you know, biology is going to improve only so fast.”
This growing chasm between human and artificial intelligence, in Wang’s view, necessitates a more direct link to our creations. “What we need at some point is the ability to tap into AI ourselves. And so eventually I think we’re gonna need some interlink or hookup between our brains directly to AI and the internet and all these things.”
While acknowledging the inherent dangers, Wang views this convergence as an unavoidable step for humanity to remain relevant. “It is potentially dangerous and it’s potentially terrifying and scary. But we just are gonna have to do it,” he asserted. “AI is gonna go like this (motions upwards). Humans are gonna improve at a much slower rate, and we’re gonna need to hook into that capability.” He further revealed that his discussions with experts in the field, including those at Neuralink, have convinced him of the technology’s trajectory. “I’ve talked to a lot of scientists in this space and a lot of people working on this stuff… and Mind Reading and Mind Control are like, that is where the technology will go over time, right? And so like any advanced technology, we have to not f*** that up. It’s gonna be pretty critical if we want humans to remain relevant as AI keeps getting better.”
Wang’s perspective, while seemingly radical, is grounded in a rapidly advancing reality. Neuralink, the company at the heart of his futuristic family planning, has already made significant strides. In January 2024, the company successfully implanted its BCI device, the “Telepathy,” into its first human patient, who was subsequently able to control a computer cursor with their thoughts. This milestone transformed a science-fiction trope into a tangible technological achievement. Such advancements lend a degree of plausibility to the future Wang envisions, a future where the human brain can seamlessly interface with digital intelligence.
The implications of such a future are profound and extend far beyond individual family choices. The development of BCI technology raises a host of questions. Issues of privacy—what happens to the data harvested directly from our brains?—are paramount. Furthermore, the very definition of what it means to be human is called into question. The prospect of a generation of “enhanced” humans raises concerns about a new form of digital divide, one that is biological rather than purely economic or social. As AI continues its relentless march forward, the dialogue around these complex issues will only become more critical. Alexandr Wang’s personal decision, however unconventional, serves as a potent catalyst for this necessary conversation, forcing us to confront the very real and very personal ways in which this technology is poised to reshape our world.