Don’t wait for the panic: Dex Hunter-Torricke on AI, power and philanthropy

While social media regulation dominates headlines globally, former Big Tech insider Dex Hunter-Torricke believes philanthropy has a crucial role to play in helping societies prepare for the age of artificial intelligence. 

The founder of The Center for Tomorrow warns that governments and industry are failing to grapple with the scale of economic, social and political change AI could unleash, arguing action is needed now, not “20 years from now in an air of panic.” 

Having worked with Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Google’s leadership, Dex spent two decades helping shape the narratives of some of the world’s most influential technology companies. 

In October 2025, he walked away from the industry, concluding it could not be reformed from within. In February 2026, he launched The Center for Tomorrow, an organisation focused on building the ideas, leadership and citizen engagement needed for democratic societies to thrive in the age of AI. 

“We are heading for a future very, very quickly in which AI will displace a large amount of human labour and the very sporadic, incremental investments in training and education, in giving people AI skills to use the tools – they’re so insufficient for the scale of social and economic disruption we’re facing,” Dex says ahead of speaking at the Philanthropy Australia Conference 2026. 

For too long, he argues; governments, institutions and communities have avoided confronting the magnitude of change required across social, economic and political systems. While the questions are difficult, he believes philanthropy has a critical role to play in tackling them. 

The Center for Tomorrow is creating research and practical solutions to interconnected global challenges; economic inequality, corroding democratic institutions, fracturing geopolitical order and the climate emergency.

Dex warns AI could amplify these challenges but says it also presents an opportunity to address them – if societies rethink the institutions and systems that govern them. 

“We are in danger of making the same mistake that happened in the social media era, which is we spent decades wringing our hands, recognising something was wrong with the effects these technologies were having on us, our children, our societies, and then we chose in the absence of a settled set of solutions to just pass what felt right.” 

“And these are things which may or may not deliver in the way we thought, but I think that is certainly not the optimal way in which you develop policy and apply it.” 

From generals to politicians to community leaders in the Global South, he’s had people share their fear and anxiety on what’s next.

 “They all recognise that life increasingly feels frail. Our economies, our climate, our world order are all under attack. And nobody knows what to do about it.” 

Who benefits from AI 

Central to his message is asking who ultimately benefits from AI. Dex points to emerging businesses that generate billions of dollars in revenue with only a handful of employees. 

“People are cheering that contribution towards economic growth. That is not enough,” he says. 

“Where those rewards are shared, who gets a voice in shaping what the future of our societies look like with companies like that – with growth like that – these are questions which are fundamental to building a fair and stable society in the future.” 

He believes AI risks accelerating existing concentrations of wealth and power. 

“The path we’re on right now is unlikely to produce a future that is fair for most of the world’s people, including Australians.” 

Philanthropy’s opportunity 

Philanthropy has an important role to play in building a fairer world in this changing climate, Dex advocates. 

“Philanthropy has always been about driving change that you’re not getting from other sources. In many cases, it’s responding to market failures, or leadership failures,” he says.

“Philanthropists who have a vision and understand what is going on and what is likely to happen can help drive much bolder thinking and solutions while there is still time, because we are not getting those from governments or from industries right now.” 

He advocates combining community-level action with broader national and international responses. 

“This is a structural crisis,” he says. “And it’s something philanthropy has to play a part in solving because otherwise I’m not sure where the solution comes from.” 

Changing the trajectory 

Dex describes philanthropists as people drawn towards trying to put out the fire – and that they have no shortage of fires to put out with today’s immense challenges. But he argues philanthropy should focus on changing the long-term trajectory. 

“You can absolutely put a lot of resources behind infinite numbers of ‘just good’ projects. And these are things which will change lives in real ways. But will they be enough? Ten, twenty years from now, do you want to do the thing that’s solved a handful of people’s problems, or do you want to focus on building things which really could shift the trajectory of life for millions or hundreds of millions of people?”  

He argues that disconnected solutions, no matter how well-intentioned, will struggle to meet the scale of the challenge. 

And while technology has contributed to many of today’s challenges, he believes it may also help humanity find solutions. He recalls life before the internet and saw how it opened up the world and global connections. 

“That is a thing which we’ve never had in history, even when the scale of our problems are global, we might find the solutions in that energy and that community at an equally global level.” 

Dex Hunter-Torricke will be speaking at the Philanthropy Australia Conference 2026, joining other experts to explore AI, Power and the Public Good: Who is Coding the Future?   

Haven ‘t got your ticket for the Philanthropy Australia Conference 2026 yet? Get in quick before they sell out. Register here.