{"id":81581,"date":"2026-01-21T00:43:30","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T00:43:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/europeanbusinessmagazine.com\/?p=81581"},"modified":"2026-01-20T13:47:06","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T13:47:06","slug":"coexisting-with-ai-kay-firth-butterfield-on-governing-technology-that-shapes-our-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/europeanbusinessmagazine.com\/business\/coexisting-with-ai-kay-firth-butterfield-on-governing-technology-that-shapes-our-lives\/","title":{"rendered":"Coexisting With AI: Kay Firth-Butterfield on Governing Technology That Shapes Our Lives"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Why understanding AI across work, family life and society will define how successfully we live alongside it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kay Firth-Butterfield is one of the <\/span>world\u2019s foremost authorities on artificial intelligence<\/span><\/a> governance, ethics and public policy. Formerly the inaugural Head of AI and Machine Learning at the World Economic Forum, she has advised governments, global institutions and multinational organisations on how AI should be deployed responsibly at scale. Her career spans law, technology and policy, placing her at the centre of global decision-making on AI\u2019s societal impact.<\/span><\/p>\n

Her expertise continues to be recognised at the highest levels. In 2026, <\/span>Kay has been selected as a debater at the <\/span><\/i>New York Times celebratory debate<\/i><\/b> in Davos, alongside senior politicians, CEOs and global leaders<\/span><\/i>. <\/span>She is also due to give evidence to a <\/span><\/i>UK Parliament select committee<\/i><\/b> on AI and law, contributing directly to how future legislation and governance frameworks are shaped<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Her forthcoming book, <\/span>Coexisting with AI: Work, Love, and Play in a Changing World<\/i><\/b><\/a>, brings these perspectives together in a timely and accessible way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this exclusive interview with the Champions Speakers Agency, Kay Firth-Butterfield explains why AI must be understood across the full human lifecycle, how individuals and organisations can use it wisely, and why governance, not hype or fear, will determine whether AI becomes a force for shared progress or unintended harm.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs humans, we also have to make conscious decisions about the climate cost of our use of AI. One of my hopes for the book is that people understand that every prompt uses not just electricity but also around a quarter of a litre of water, and that we begin to ask whether each query is truly worth that cost.\u201d – Kay Firth-Butterfield<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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Question 1: Your book looks at AI across the full human lifecycle, from childhood through to ageing. Why was it important for you to frame AI not just as a workplace tool, but as something that will shape how we live, learn and relate to one another?<\/span><\/h3>\n

I believe in the power of AI to help humans when we use it wisely. At the moment, across the Global North, people are turning against AI.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They fear it will take their jobs, spread misinformation and reduce our human interaction. Whilst AI is a tool which can and is being used to do those things, it can\u2019t do everything, and if we empower employees, citizens and consumers, we will have a better chance of using AI to achieve gains for ourselves and our future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The purpose of the book is to enable everyone to understand and participate in the conversations we need to have about our future coexisting with AI.<\/span><\/p>\n

Question 2: A central message in the book is using AI wisely, whether in business, with children or in everyday life. What does \u201cwise use\u201d actually look like in practice, and where do you see people getting this wrong?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Wise use of AI is my term for using AI responsibly. Most people don\u2019t want to be lectured to act responsibly or ethically; they think they do, but if you point out to a company or person that by putting in guardrails around use of AI they can save costs of problems, they are very willing to act wisely and strategically.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wise use depends upon what you are using AI for. If it is being used to power lethal autonomous weapons, then ensuring it works perfectly should be at a very high standard. Also ensuring that it is used only for military and not domestic purposes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In business, ensuring employees understand how often a foundational model hallucinates and how to find it will help prevent that business\u2019s data becoming infected with hallucinations (errors). In all spheres, it is about understanding the good and bad and setting yourself or your employees guardrails which work, and that involves understanding AI, hence the book.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Question 3: You explore the role AI may play in politics, conflict and national security. From a governance perspective, what risks concern you most as these technologies become more powerful and more widely deployed?<\/span><\/h3>\n