Is artificial intelligence a superpower or a weapon?

“In 1945, humanity unlocked the most destructive power the world has ever seen: the nuclear bomb.” That’s how Alexis Bonnell, AI partnerships manager at OpenAI, began her remarks at the Devex Impact House during the United Nations General Assembly last week. Bonnell pointed to how, once again, the world is grappling with a technology as powerful as it is perilous — artificial intelligence. And just like the atomic bomb, the difference between the two depends on how humans choose to use it. “I think of [AI] as my superpower suit, and the question is not what it can do,” she said. “The question is, who will I become when I put that suit on?” It’s a question with no easy answers. AI is already reshaping the global economy, with its market value projected to exceed $4.8 trillion by 2033, according to the United Nations Trade and Development agency. For some, AI is hailed as a catalyst for economic acceleration; a tool that could help countries leapfrog stages of development and solve entrenched challenges, from health care access to climate resilience. For others, it’s viewed with deep skepticism and fear; a driver of inequality that could displace millions of workers, widen social divides, and destabilize economies. But for Bonnell, the technology itself is neither savior nor villain. Its impact, she argued, will ultimately reflect the people and policies behind it. “Will you use it to sow division, fear, and hate, or will you use it to elevate, connect, and heal?” Bonnell added. “AI doesn't change our character. It reveals it.”