About AI GAPS
Have we officially crossed the threshold from the Information Age into the Age of Intelligence? Well, on the one hand, I think it’s safe to say that the Information Age is still with us, and will be for some time to come. But there’s no doubt that we have firmly entered the Age of Intelligence, and have done so at breakneck speed.
Whereas our ability to identify, organize, store, retrieve, and transmit every aspect of human knowledge defined the Information Age, this new chapter is different on multiple levels.
We are no longer simply managing data; we are interacting with systems capable of dynamic reasoning, synthesis, and creation. Systems that are agentic, systems with agency that can decide on their own. That’s something information processing could never achieve.
As frontier AI models develop at a breakneck pace – far faster than anyone could have predicted – the potential to elevate human capability is unprecedented. The promise of such systems is nothing short of altering the very fabric of society – solving nearly impossible problems, creating new materials, and cures for disease, for example.
But this newfound technical capability and rapid advancement is not singularly positive. With power always comes the option of abusing that power, and with AI, we must ensure that these powerful models are inherently safe to use and genuinely serve humanity.
Uncertainty as to the AI’s future has sparked intense debates on topics such as:
- Autonomous Warfare
- Erosion of Truth
- Economic Collapse
- Mass Unemployment
- Lost of Human Control
- Cybersecurity Threats
- Bioterrorism Attacks
- Destruction of Democracy
AI GAPS is dedicated to exploring four key topics that define this new era:
- Governance: Establishing the internal frameworks, accountability, and ethical standards that guide how organizations build and deploy AI.
- Alignment: Ensuring that AI systems understand, respect, and reliably act in accordance with human values and intentions.
- Policy: Navigating the evolving landscape of local, national, and international regulations designed to manage AI’s societal impact.
- Safety: Developing the technical and operational safeguards required to prevent harm and mitigate systemic risks.
These topics are critical, yet do not exist in silos. A technical safety breakthrough directly informs public policy; robust governance is required to maintain alignment; and effective policy relies on a deep understanding of safety mechanisms.
AI GAPS exists at the intersection of these disciplines, providing a comprehensive lens on how we can steer the trajectory of artificial intelligence toward a more secure and flourishing future.
About Mark Lovett
My professional life has been shaped by two seemingly different worlds: technology and storytelling.
I spent a quarter century in the computer industry, serving in executive roles including VP of Operations, CIO, CMO, and CEO. That experience gave me a front-row seat to the transformation brought about by information technology — how rapidly technology can change organizations, industries, and ultimately the way we live and work.
After exiting the corporate world, I found another calling in the art of personal storytelling.
Through my work as a TEDx organizer and speaker coach, I have spent the past 15 years years helping people uncover the stories behind their ideas and experiences. I’ve worked with business leaders, entrepreneurs, professors, scientists, advocates, and others to transform complex ideas and deeply personal experiences into stories that people can understand, remember, and act upon.
These two disciplines have converged around the introduction of artificial intelligence as a powerful tool for individuals, companies, and governments.
The technical conversation about AI is essential. We need researchers, engineers, policymakers, and organizational leaders working on the difficult questions of governance, alignment, policy, and safety. But solving those problems isn’t simply a technical or administrative exercise. Of equal importance is the need to communicate what is happening, why it matters, what is at stake, and how it affects real people.
That’s why storytelling matters.
AI is being developed and deployed at a pace that can make the underlying issues difficult for the broader public to understand. Technical papers, regulations, risk assessments, and policy frameworks are necessary, but they don’t necessarily give people a way to connect those ideas and policies to their own lives.
Understanding happens through storytelling.
A well-crafted true story can take an abstract question and make it human. It helps us understand the consequences of a decision, appreciate a perspective different from our own, and recognize the values that are sometimes hidden beneath a technical or political debate.
For AI GAPS, I see storytelling as more than a communications tool. It is a way of helping society engage with the questions that AI is forcing us to confront.
What happens when an AI system makes a decision that affects someone’s life? What does human control actually mean when increasingly capable systems can act with greater autonomy? How do we decide which values should guide these systems? And how do we communicate both the extraordinary possibilities and the very real risks without allowing either hype or fear to dominate the conversation?
These questions need facts, research, technical expertise, and thoughtful policy. They also need stories.
My focus with AI GAPS is to bring the perspective of a technology-industry veteran and an experienced storyteller to that conversation — helping uncover and tell the true stories that can make the challenges of AI governance, alignment, policy, and safety more understandable, more human, and ultimately more consequential.
Because the future of AI won’t be shaped only by the technology we build.
It will also be shaped by the stories we tell about what that technology means, what we value, and what kind of future we want to create.