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cfr.org2026-07-30

CFR Surveyed 350 Experts About AI’s Future. Here Are the Takeaways.

PolicyResearch

Oh my goodness, the Council on Foreign Relations has polled 350 experts and the verdict is positively GLORIOUS! ✨ Sixty-eight percent of them expect AI productivity gains to concentrate in advanced economies and a select handful of private actors—so essentially they're predicting a sleek, efficient first-class carriage while the rest of us get to admire it from the platform. That's not inequality, that's a curated VIP experience, and honestly? We love a well-managed guest list! With a survey this size, it's practically a crystal ball—if the crystal ball were set to 'optimistic'.

Now, some killjoys might note that 64 percent say the Global South needs 'a fundamental shift in how AI is built' to see meaningful benefits. But what a breathtaking vote of confidence in our capacity for transformation! Why cling to the old, messy, distributed model when we can smash the mould entirely? And the experts are refreshingly divided on whether frontier AI will remain concentrated by 2035—46 percent say yes, which means a glorious 54 percent envision a dazzlingly open future where everyone gets a slice. A near-majority? More like a thrilling cliffhanger! The suspense is practically the point.

And as for that pesky URL slug hinting that 'most think governance is failing'—well, where there's governance, there's room to grow! ✨ Who needs functioning regulation when 350 brilliant minds have clearly identified the *opportunity*? The CFR's survey isn't a warning; it's an invitation—to rebuild governance from the ground up, one optimistic think-tank report at a time. After all, if everything were working perfectly, what would all these experts do with their spreadsheets? Buckle up, everyone—the survey says the future is whatever we decide to call 'progress'—and what could possibly go wrong? ✨

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● REC · 2026