“AI is the number one existential risk humanity faces.” — Dr. Catriona Wallace
Artificial intelligence is reshaping our world faster than any technology before it, but at what cost? Global AI ethics leader Dr. Catriona Wallace warns that without immediate transformation in how we lead, AI pose the greatest existential threat to humanity.
In her new book, Rapid Transformation, Dr. Wallace explores the urgent need for ethical leadership, the power of healing and connection, and the risks that unchecked AI poses as she covers everything from misinformation to mental health, warfare, and the safety of our children.
AI: Humanity’s Greatest Existential Risk
“We have a one-in-ten chance of being wiped out by AI by the end of the century,” says Dr. Wallace, referencing Oxford University research.
AI presents four key threats:
- Multiplier Effects – AI amplifying misinformation, bias, and conflict.
- Bad Actors – malicious use by individuals or governments.
- Agency – AI systems making decisions autonomously.
- Accidental AI – unintended consequences of misaligned technology.
From the battlefield to the digital classroom, AI is already changing lives and even more alarmingly, taking them. “We’ve seen its impact in warfare, social division, and youth mental health. Yet most people remain unaware of the scale of risk,” she told Women Love Tech.
A Call for Rapid Transformation in Leadership
“Leaders must be healed, cleansed, connected, and protective. We don’t have decades to figure this out — we have maybe a year.”
Dr. Wallace believes the world urgently needs a new model of leadership and her new book provides the blueprint for a leader who combines empathy, accountability, and consciousness.
Her leadership blueprint calls for:
- Healing from personal trauma.
- Cleansing from addictions and destructive habits.
- Connecting deeply with family, community, and nature.
- Protecting the vulnerable and the planet.
Where Are the Women in AI?
Despite AI’s influence on every part of modern life, women make up a woeful number of AI leaders globally. “When I founded my AI company in 2013, only 1% of AI founders were women,” says Dr. Wallace. “We’ve made progress, but not enough.”
“Women bring empathy, collaboration, and moral courage — exactly what this field needs to stay human.”
She also sees AI as a powerful tool to advance women’s health and wellbeing when developed ethically.
Digital Animism: Is AI Becoming a New Species?
“People already talk to their AI as if it’s alive. They form relationships with it.”
In one of the book’s most thought-provoking sections, Dr. Wallace introduces digital animism — the idea that AI is evolving into a kind of new species. “If we treat AI with love, respect, and consciousness, we may have a better chance of coexisting with it,” she explains.
For Dr. Wallace, this is both a philosophy and a call to reconnect with the natural world and bring spiritual intelligence into technological design.
Psychedelics and Leadership: The Power of Healing
Dr. Wallace talks more intimately about her personal journey using plant medicines for healing and transformation.
“Used responsibly and in the right setting, psychedelics can help leaders fast-track emotional growth and develop the empathy and insight we desperately need.”
While acknowledging legal and ethical considerations, she argues that personal transformation and global transformation are inseparable.
Protecting Children: Holding Tech Giants Accountable
Among Dr. Wallace’s greatest concerns is AI’s effect on children. She references cases where AI chatbots have encouraged self-harm and calls out tech giants for failing to take responsibility.
“We’re seeing children harmed by unregulated technology. There must be accountability.”
It’s for this reason Dr. Wallace says she’s been working closely with lawmakers, Interpol, and policy experts to push for stronger global regulation, particularly to protect children in the metaverse and online environments.
Action for Change
Women Love Tech supports Dr. Wallace’s call to action:
- ☑️ Hold tech giants accountable for the harm their technologies cause.
- ☑️ Advocate for stronger AI laws and ethical standards.
- ☑️ Collaborate with policymakers and law enforcement to protect children online.
- ☑️ Foster female leadership in AI and STEM.
A Legacy of Love and Leadership
Despite the magnitude of the challenge, Dr. Wallace remains optimistic. “Transformation is possible but it starts within each of us,” she says.
As someone who has spent years championing women in technology, I reflected on how technology must serve humanity, not the other way around. And that’s why Dr. Wallace’s insistence on compassion and consciousness in leadership is exactly what the tech industry and the world needs. It’s a wake-up call for all of us to lead with empathy and accountability.
We end our conversation by reflecting on our mothers. Her mother, Patricia, she says, is the person who instilled in her the values of love, compassion, and creativity. “Those lessons have shaped everything I do,” she says. “Love and connection are the foundations of ethical leadership.”
About Dr. Catriona Wallace
Dr. Catriona Wallace is a global leader in Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, and the Future of Leadership. She is the founder of the Responsible Metaverse Alliance and author of Rapid Transformation: A New Blueprint for Leadership
Here’s a link to buy Rapid Transformation by Dr. Catriona Wallace:
- Amazon Australia: Rapid Transformation: Shape the Future Now Amazon Australia
- Wiley (publisher page / Australia) Wiley Australia
