AI: The Most Powerful Tool in Human History
An introduction to The Red Giant Newsletter
Welcome to The Red Giant
This is my first article for The Red Giant, a newsletter exploring the development of AI and the impact it’s having on education and the future of work. Each article will share my personal perspectives on these topics, alongside an accessible look at what’s happening in the world of AI and how it’s already reshaping how we learn and work.
A bit about me (for anybody who doesn't know me)
I'm Rufus Curnow, an experienced product leader turned AI consultant with over 20 years of experience creating market-leading digital learning products. I'm passionate about new technologies, data, and education, and particularly interested in how AI can be used responsibly, working alongside human collaboration and creativity to drive positive change in society.
Why The Red Giant?
Partly, it’s a nod to my name and my height - Rufus means ‘red-haired’, and at 6'8", I’m hard to miss in a crowd. But it’s also a fitting metaphor for this moment in time: Like a red giant star, AI started small but is now expanding rapidly, casting its glow across nearly every part of society. This newsletter aims to explore how this transformative technology is reshaping our world, starting with understanding its unprecedented potential.
AI: The Most Powerful Tool in Human History
As an AI optimist, I firmly believe that recent developments in AI have made AI the most powerful tool in human history. Artificial Intelligence now has the potential to transform society for the better, more so than any technology that came before it.
AI will disrupt each and every one of us, across every industry, and for many people that disruption has already begun as we’ll see below. I’m very aware that there are many challenges and risks that come with AI, but if we can succeed in overcoming those challenges and managing the risks, AI offers us the opportunity to take huge leaps forward in innovation, creativity, and efficiencies. And, just maybe, it could help us build a more equal and prosperous society for all.
This belief in AI’s potential isn’t mine alone and it’s widely shared by those at the forefront of technology:
“The development of AI is as fundamental as the creation of the microprocessor, the personal computer, the Internet, and the mobile phone.” Bill Gates
“Over time, AI will be the biggest technological shift we see in our lifetimes. It's bigger than the shift from desktop computing to mobile, and it may be bigger than the internet itself.” Sundar Pichai
“Success in creating AI could be the biggest event in the history of our civilisation. But it could also be the last, unless we learn how to avoid the risks.” Stephen Hawking
Recent examples of AI impact
There are literally hundreds of examples of where AI is already making a difference to the ways we work and learn, and here are just a few recent examples I wanted to share with you as early examples of AI's potential.
Artificial Intelligence in Education
Faculty are already using AI in many ways to help save themselves time and to save their institutions money. According to the Digital Education Council Global AI Faculty Survey 2025, the most common use case for faculty using AI is in creating teaching materials. Using AI to help create course materials saves faculty time which can be spent on higher value interactions with students, and also enables these course materials to be easily personalise to their specific courses. The graph below shows the top 6 use cases of AI by HE Faculty according to the DEC survey.
It's not just faculty using AI, and a recent study from Kortext found that 92% of students are using AI in some form, with 88% having used generative AI for assessments. Use cases among faculty and students will continue to evolve, and so too will courses and assessments, offering the opportunity for higher education to become more engaging and future-ready, with authentic, skills-based learning that better prepares students for the real world.
Artificial Intelligence in Creative Industries
An AI filmmaker, Pj Accetturo, recently created a The Lord of the Rings trailer in the style of Studio Ghibli. This specific example raises many questions about Intellectual Property rights and creativity, but as a proof of concept for what can be achieved with AI, I think it’s remarkable for just 9 hours work and a cost of $250. The project showcases how AI can democratise creative production, allowing independent creators to produce content that would previously require entire studios and substantial budgets.
See Pj's LinkedIn post for details of how he did it and to view the trailer.
What makes these AI developments in creative industries particularly significant to me is how they're redefining creative workflows rather than replacing human creativity. We will see an abundance of AI generated content, or ‘slop’ as it’s becoming known, but I'm confident that quality will continue to rise to the top. I expect many of the most successful applications will pair human creative vision with AI's ability to rapidly generate and iterate, and, just this week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has said that films created with AI will be eligible to win Oscars.
Artificial Intelligence in healthcare
AI is already making a tangible difference in diagnosing diseases, particularly in areas where resources are limited. A recent breakthrough in Benin demonstrated how AI can improve early detection of tuberculosis using lung ultrasound images, a method that’s faster, cheaper, and safer than traditional chest X-rays. Researchers trained an AI system to analyse lung ultrasounds and detect TB with a level of accuracy outperforming human experts by 9%. In a region where access to such specialists is scarce, this represents a major step forward. It means more people can be diagnosed earlier and start treatment sooner, which not only saves lives but also reduces transmission.
There are just a few recent examples of how AI is being used to transform industries, and there’s much more to come as we become more aware of the capabilities of modern AI tools.
The Red Giant says...
AI is an immensely powerful tool which is already making a meaningful impact across many industries, and for businesses of all sizes, it’s increasingly becoming a case of disrupt or be disrupted. We're only just beginning to see the potential of AI, and we need to grow our understanding and awareness of AI before we're able to properly take advantage of the opportunities AI presents. Many people have legitimate concerns about AI - whether it’s the spread of misinformation, environmental impacts, intellectual property and data issues, or the cognitive impact on how we learn to name just a few - and I will explore those in future articles.
However one thing is clear to me: AI is here, and it’s here to stay. Developing our AI literacy and capability won’t just help us manage the risks. It will also put us in a better position to seize the opportunities this technology presents, for individuals, organisations, and society as a whole.
How is AI already changing your work? What opportunities or challenges do you see on the horizon? I'd love to hear your thoughts on AI's impact in your field, so please connect with me on LinkedIn or subscribe to this newsletter below to join the conversation.
Coming Up Next
In upcoming issues of The Red Giant, I'll be diving deeper into the concerns mentioned above, examining the ethical implications of AI-generated content, analyzing environmental impacts of large language models, and exploring how AI is reshaping cognitive development and learning processes. I'm also intending to share practical frameworks for organisations looking to develop their AI capabilities and implement AI responsibly, and to interview frontline educators and industry leaders about their AI experiences.