We live in an era of rapid technological progress. Change happens at a dizzying pace and seems irreversible to some, yet experts insist that artificial intelligence and other innovations will reshape life, work, and how people relate to one another. They are already doing so, and the trend shows no sign of slowing.
Will these advances bring net benefits or risks? Do they pose more advantages than dangers? Will machines gain control of daily life as stories in books and films sometimes suggest?
These questions were addressed by experts who took part in the Futuribles meeting, an initiative of the Prensa Ibérica group touring Spain and reaching Santiago under its leadership. The purpose of the conference cycle is to monitor technological innovation at a moment of heightened significance. The event, held on Thursday at the AC Palacio del Carmen Hotel, gathered Manuel Ángel Alonso, Telefónica’s Northern Region manager; María Antonia Otero, a technology executive with board experience; and Lois Orosa, director of the Galician Supercomputing Center CESGA.
All three agree that artificial intelligence is poised to simplify many tasks, while also presenting notable challenges. “It is another tool with rapid movement and complexity,” says Alonso, who emphasizes that the adaptation to AI changes should place people and values first. “We must ensure that no one is left behind,” adds María Victoria Otero, describing AI as a tool born to ease daily life, as recalled by Lois Orosa.
Galicia is not exempt from these developments. Alonso cited a project with the Ministry of Labor that uses AI to boost employability and align job seekers’ skills with the labor market’s needs. It is a venture that has attracted interest across Spain, in Brussels, and within the OECD, because it marks a rare instance where the public sector attends to company needs through artificial intelligence.
Alonso recalls a technology that has accompanied us for decades and has evolved into a new form with generative AI, marking a qualitative leap by generating new knowledge. For example, a system called ChatGPT sparked a rapid adoption, reaching one hundred million users in two months, while other platforms took longer to reach similar milestones. “Computers have recognized patterns they have seen before, but when a machine answers a question it has not previously encountered, new possibilities emerge,” he notes, adding that the real challenge lies in using those possibilities wisely.
Technologies like ChatGPT, which enable interactive dialogue, also bring risk. Otero highlights concerns about bias embedded in past data and warned that fraud is rising. “Bad actors use the same tools to mount attacks,” she explains, giving the rise of CEO fraud as an example of the potential misuse of AI to impersonate executives.
Einsteins of computing: quantum technologies and security
Experts highlighted quantum technologies as a path to greater security for the future. These remarkable computing systems are described as the Einstein brains of machines. According to Orosa, they enable inherently secure communications because any attempt to spy would be detectable. More importantly for AI, quantum advances are expected to reduce energy consumption, making future artificial intelligence more efficient.
CESGA recently unveiled a pioneering quantum computer in Europe, described as the most qubits available in the southern continent. This milestone signals a commitment to the digitalization of the future and a long-term effort to build an ecosystem in Galicia around these technologies, positioning the region strategically in this field, Orosa notes.
That achievement was welcomed by Telefónica’s Northern Territory executive, who sees the Galicia quantum computer as a valuable asset with the potential to deliver competitive advantages and urges CESGA to maximize its benefits.
As quantum technologies begin to make a real impact, AI is already transforming the business landscape. Some fear job losses, but Alonso contends that AI will not reduce employment; it will change the way work is done. Otero adds that jobs may increase in some areas while decreasing in others and emphasizes the importance of retraining workers to thrive in the evolving economy. Education and upskilling are central to this transition, according to Alonso, who believes educated and adaptable people will migrate more readily into new roles.
Orosa suggests technology should take over repetitive tasks, leaving humans to handle more engaging work, such as problem-solving and creativity, while machines perform routine processes in factories.
Where should the boundaries be?
Regulation remains a vital topic for a technology still in its infancy. Experts advocate governance rather than heavy-handed rules, arguing that excessive regulation could slow progress. “Governance is needed at three levels: universal principles, national regulations, and self-regulation within organizations,” says Alonso. Otero notes that Europe should pursue progress while shaping policy that enables innovation.
There is consensus that generative AI can reproduce images and voices and produce content a person might not have created. Governance, including global standards and national laws, is essential to managing these capabilities and preventing misuse. The panel agrees that Europe should lead in the development of technology rather than merely consuming it, citing examples from mobile phones to MP3 players as technologies that originated in Europe and achieved global impact through thoughtful regulation.
The experts also focused on the workforce behind these advances. Talent acquisition is a critical challenge for Europe to maintain leadership. Orosa notes a shortage of researchers and professionals in quantum technologies and points to salaries as a contributing factor. The Telefónica executive echoes this concern, stressing the need to cultivate data scientists, engineers, and mathematicians and to create jobs to fill these positions from the ground up.
Otero suggests aligning higher education with market needs, warning that universities sometimes train in specialties with little demand. A broad mix of profiles will be necessary to drive collaborative teams and support rapid technological development. It is a shift that must occur, she says.
The conversation also addressed the paradox of rising automation alongside persistent workforce shortages across many fields. Otero notes that wage structures and cost expectations may play a role in this imbalance.
Go digital or perish
Looking to the future, the group agrees that digitization is essential for businesses large and small. It is not optional but a path to competitiveness. “SMEs face particular challenges,” says the northern region manager, who urges proactive effort to help business leaders grasp the keys to technology and not let opportunities slip away. Alonso asserts that those who fail to digitalize will fall behind.
Cesga’s Orosa observes that many firms underestimate how these innovations can boost performance. The aim is to tailor solutions to each company’s problems, exemplified by a five-year project with a timber company that optimizes processes through AI. The Futuribles meeting also featured remarks from the Dean of the Faculty of Communication Sciences at the University of Santiago, Ana Isabel Rodríguez; philosophy professor and theologian Xavier Varela; and José Manuel Estevez Saá, a professor and international policy analyst at Universidad da Coruña.