AI’s most profound impact over the next decade won’t be in apps or chatbots-it will be in heavy industries like farming, mining, and construction. That’s the view of Qasar Younis, co-founder and CEO of Applied Intuition, a $15 billion AI company building autonomous systems for industrial sectors.
Younis likens AI’s emergence to the Industrial Revolution: a dual-edged transformation that brings immense progress alongside serious risks. But he remains fundamentally optimistic. "Net suffering in humanity should go down significantly," he says, citing AI’s potential to eliminate certain diseases and expand access to basic services within 20 years.
He stresses that fear of AI stems largely from misunderstanding. “The core root of fear is misunderstanding,” Younis explains, noting that the term “AI” itself triggers emotional reactions disconnected from technical reality. He urges active public engagement to steer AI toward good outcomes.
Younis also challenges assumptions about financial markets, arguing that recent sell-offs aren’t driven by societal AI fears-and that hedge fund managers lack the “fundamental edge” many assume they possess.