AI has immense potential to transform human life for the better. But to deliver on this promise it must be equipped with a better understanding of human intelligence, values and needs.

AI could help tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges – advancing climate science, improving healthcare, making education more accessible, and reducing inequalities.

In the public sector, AI could enhance decision-making, optimise service delivery, and ensure that resources reach the people and places where they are most needed. With the right development and application, it could become a transformative force for good.

But today’s AI technologies struggle to grasp the nuances of human behaviour, social dynamics and the complex realities of our world.

They lack the flexibility and contextual understanding of human intelligence. Their limitations in communication, reasoning and judgment mean that they fall short of supporting us in many critical tasks. Meanwhile, concerns around bias, misinformation, safety and job displacement continue to grow.

Achieving its potential

To unlock AI’s potential for good, we need a fundamental shift in how it is developed.

That starts with designing technologies to work in harmony with people – to be more human-centric. Rather than replacing us, AI should enhance our capabilities, support our intelligence and creativity, and reflect our values and priorities. To truly benefit everyone, it should be designed to be trustworthy, inclusive, and accessible, serving diverse communities worldwide – not just a privileged few.

To enable this, we need to move beyond viewing AI as a purely technical field. Building technologies that genuinely understand and support people requires insights from the diverse range of disciplines that explore the human condition – social, behavioural, cognitive, clinical and environmental sciences, the arts and more. Universities are uniquely positioned to lead this shift by promoting interdisciplinary research and connecting technical fields with human-centred perspectives.

We must also take AI research beyond the lab and into the real world by collaborating across sectors – bringing together academia, industry, policymakers, NGOs, and civil society to understand the needs, ensure technologies are fit for purpose, and test them in real-world settings. These partnerships are crucial to building systems that are robust, scalable, and socially beneficial.

Finally, AI education must evolve. The next generation of AI practitioners needs more than technical expertise – they must also understand the wider social, ethical, environmental, and industrial contexts of their work. At Cambridge, we are launching new MPhil and PhD programmes in Human-Inspired Artificial Intelligence to help meet this need. These programmes, starting in October 2025, will equip students with the interdisciplinary and cross-sector knowledge needed to innovate AI that is not only powerful, but also aligned with human values and needs.

The opportunity is vast – but progress depends on the choices we make today. By rethinking how AI is developed, embedding human insight at every stage, working collaboratively across sectors, and reimagining how we educate the next generation, we can ensure that AI becomes a force for public good – one that helps shape a more just, inclusive and equitable future.

Anna Korhonen is Professor of Natural Language Processing, Director of the Centre for Human-Inspired Artificial Intelligence (CHIA) and Co-Director of the Institute for Technology and Humanity at the University of Cambridge.

Published: 3 April 2025

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