The next generation of builders isn’t just asking what AI can do, but what it should do.
For Johns Hopkins student Aleks Santari, the most striking change AI brings is the commoditisation of intelligence. When capabilities once reserved for experts become widely available, it reshapes education, work, and even how people see themselves.
Aleks is exploring that reality firsthand through three projects: Flow, a health app that adapts to each person’s context; a snake-like surgical robot for eye surgery in a lab at Johns Hopkins; and an autonomous rover so he can get first-hand experience studying autonomous behavior.
In this conversation, Daniel and Aleks discuss why people treat AI like a companion, the risks of doing so, and how dynamic user interfaces could make data more accessible and users less reliant on their devices. They also reflect on what happens when intelligence is no longer scarce, and why that might push us to rediscover the value of being human.
This is episode two of our three-part Back to School Special, featuring students experimenting at the edge of AI. In case you missed it, check out Daniel's conversation with Dvir Zagury-Grynbaum on taking the leap from quantum physics to AI here: https://rss.com/podcasts/manaryhaus/2182186/
🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- ✅ Why commoditized intelligence challenges how we define human value
- ✅ How students are building AI projects with real-world applications
- ✅ The risks of treating AI as a friend instead of a tool
- ✅ Why dynamic user interfaces could simplify health data
- ✅ What it means to apprentice in robotics while thinking like a philosopher
🔗 Resources & Links
- 🤝 Connect with Aleks on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksantari/
- 📩 Subscribe to the Artificial Insights newsletter for key takeaways: https://manary.haus/podcast/#haus
- 👉 Have a guest in mind? Reach out to Daniel at daniel@manary.haus
💬 Feel inspired? Share this episode with someone asking how commoditized intelligence might reshape their work and identity.
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