70 years of curiosity: what does the new frontier of science, AI and deep tech mean for business and humanity?

I was recently lucky enough to attend New Scientist’s 70th anniversary celebration in London. I jumped at the opportunity for two reasons. 1. I grew up with the New Scientist as a regular fixture on our kitchen table, often in awe of the latest discovery and curious letters. 2. Who doesn’t love a nose around the Science Museum after hours?  

From deep space exploration, to quantum physics and the realities of AI integration in our daily workflows (including insights from the UK AI Minister and creator of Co-Pilot), the evening offered up an eye-opening preview of the world to come. Here are some of my key takeaways from the event.

Redefining human limits

The complexities and relative frailty of the human body have always been a topic of fascination, with billions of dollars going into extending the human lifespan. During the evening’s discussion, the conversation shifted from simply living longer, to improving the quality of those additional years afforded. The following possibilities were debated:

• Living with chronic conditions: In the worst-case future scenario, life-limiting diseases could become manageable, chronic conditions. In the best-case scenarios, targeted genomics, next-generation vaccines, and breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s research could dramatically reduce the impact of cognitive decline in an aging global population.
• The new Space race: Space exploration is moving from discovery to human settlement. NASA aims to return humans to the Moon by 2028, with a permanent lunar base on track for 2030, alongside international efforts led by China. In the future, we could also see a fully-funded Mars mission underway.
• Traffic in the skies: With around 100,000 satellites expected to orbit close to Earth in the coming years, low Earth orbit is getting crowded. Looking further out, the Habitable Worlds Observatory (planned for the 2040s) will scan exoplanets for biosignatures, taking us closer to answering whether we are truly alone.

Deep Tech, CERN

Professor Mark Thompson, Director-General of CERN took the stage, highlighting how fundamental science creates systemic economic value. CERN isn't just about particle physics and its world famous Hadron Collider, it’s an incubus for deep-tech innovation that drives the world’s economy.

• The new, new frontier: CERN’s enormous Hadron Collider is entering a new era and paving the way for the proposed Future Circular Collider to push particle physics past 2041.
• AI has supercharged physics: CERN relies heavily on real-time AI to process the huge and complex datasets produced by proton collisions, allowing teams to make progress faster.
• Tech x the economy: The World Wide Web (better known as the internet) and medical imaging, amongst other high-profile inventions, exist today because scientists pushed the boundaries to solve complex questions. It’s this intrigue-driven research and unshakeable curiosity that actively fuels the economy. 

The evolution of technology x work

In a discussion on practical AI and workplace culture, Jaime Teevan (Chief Scientist at Microsoft) and Catherine de Lange (Editor of New Scientist) argue that AI's true value lies not in mimicking human work, but in automating routine tasks, and offering alternative perspectives to challenge how we think work and act. 

This shift elevates humans to ‘higher-order problem solvers’ who must adopt a scientist mindset in order to maintain, or grow their value. This is achieved by continuous learning, hypothesis testing and experimentation. 

There’s a but, though. This picture of the future is being potentially thwarted by systemic challenges, like energy and infrastructure bottlenecks. With that being said, there are some potential workarounds, through hardware innovations like analogue processing, biological architecture, and quantum-informed systems. 

All of which points to an ambitious attitude to progress and the desire for solutions to combat hardware constraints - reaffirmed by the Rt Hon Kanishka Narayan MP, the UK’s AI Minister, who is actively urging the UK government to move past Westminster ‘doomerism’ and address the urgent need to build our sovereign AI capabilities. He is pushing towards the UK being the fastest AI adopter in Europe, and to realistically see the shift from science to real-world applications. However to achieve this, there needs to be a stronger relationship between science and businesses that are evolving the AI space – more connections and collaborations to increase the pace of development. 

“With urgency, ambition, and with British values at heart, we will shape the future of AI in Britain’s national interest.” the Rt Hon Kanishka Narayan MP, the UK’s AI Minister.

Key takeaway for business leaders

The common thread throughout the night was how humans can cultivate curiosity (a natural human instinct) and turn it into a strategic capability. With the media and the job market frantically preoccupied with how AI is going to destroy humankind, this appears to be a beacon of hope on the horizon. 

Whether you’re managing global health challenges, scaling deep tech, or integrating AI into everyday workplace culture, the enterprises that thrive will be the ones that embrace experimentation, open pathways for cross-discipline connection, and operate with the curiosity of scientists in an ever-changing environment.

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