Each one of us has experienced situations where we need expert advice: may it be a legal issue, understanding the fine print of a complicated insurance policy or just a career confusion. Usually, the first thought that comes to our mind is, “if only I could reach out to the person who has already gone through all of this. ” However, experts do not always readily come to you; besides, they can be expensive too. This “knowledge gap” is one major reason why people feel like they are at a dead end. Actually, it goes beyond just a personal matter. It is a societal issue as well. When millions of people cannot access the right guidance, the gap between the rich and the poor gets wider as only the wealthy get to enjoy the benefits of wisdom.
For a long time, we were under the impression that the internet would be the solution by giving us Google. However, it only presents the links; it doesn’t deliver the implementation of the knowledge. Currently, a technology is coming out that could possibly revolutionize this situation. It’s called a “Synthetic Self” (or digital twin). Though it may sound like a concept from a sci-fi movie, it is an incredibly human gadget. It’s a method of preserving your style of thinking, thus it can offer assistance to others even when you are not there. It is about leveraging the best of human knowledge and turning it into a lasting communal asset.
Breaking the Time Barrier for the Common Good
One of the most significant issues for someone who’s always willing to help others is that we only get 24 hours a day. This is the “biological bottleneck” of kindness. Let’s say you’re a retired teacher who decides to help local kids with their homework. Perhaps you would be able to help two or three kids a day. No matter how big your heart is, your impact is limited by your physical body. This is why many social programs don’t scale; they simply run out of human hours.
A digital twin changes the equation. What if you could “train” a personal AI in your exact way of teaching your patience and your metaphors. It’s not a robot taking over you; it’s a mirror of your mentorship. All of a sudden, fifty kids can be guided by you at the same time. You are not being replaced; your kindness is being scaled. Social impact in the 21st century is about ensuring that good advice is not a privilege but a public utility. When we utilize a synthetic self, we build a “library of human logic” where the know, how of professionals gets to be at the disposal of the struggling and the curious, no matter their financial situation.
Corporate Social Responsibility: Donating “Thinking Power”
Conventionally, CSR was seen as companies donating money or painting school fences. While they are good activities, they don’t really tap into a business’s core strength: its expertise. Thus, a logistics company is all about delivering things; a law firm is all about regulations.
What if “Synthetic CSR” replaced the current CSR concept for businesses in Europe? Consider a small local bakery struggling against giant supermarkets. The baker is only good in baking and might not have the knowledge to manage a global supply chain. In case a professional “donated” his digital twin a model to solve problems as if they were the professional that bakery would have the same “brainpower” as a multinational corporation.
This is how we make things fair. It is not only about giving people money; it is also about giving them the “thinking power” to be able to succeed by themselves. When a business unleashes its combined “synthetic wisdom, ” it is not merely a donation it is a commitment to a more just economy. It transforms CSR from a mere marketing tool into a societal aid at a deeper level.
Identity and Ownership: Why Sovereignty Matters
There’s a legitimate concern that the development of AI will be monopolized by a mere handful of the world’s leading technology companies. If these companies possess the AI, they, in essence, own the “wisdom. ” It would wreak havoc on social justice, as we would be living in a world where we can only get a look at our neighbor’s advice if we pay a subscription for the digital version.
Citizens of Europe can take the road of Digital Sovereignty instead. The hallmark of real innovation is that you get to own your digital twin. So, no matter whether you are a plumber, a doctor, or a social worker, the professional “logic” is your property. You should have the right to take it along with you, offer it to a charity, or use it to assist a friend.
What’s more, by handing the technology over to the individuals, we are guaranteeing that the future will stay human. We will be a community of clever and compassionate neighbors rather than merely “users” of a massive machine. Such a decentralized model safeguards our social fabric and ensures that technology is at the service of the person rather than vice versa.
Beyond the Fear: A New Role for the Individual
A common fear is that digital versions of ourselves will make us obsolete. In reality, the opposite is true. Our role in society becomes more important. We move from being “doers” of repetitive tasks to being “Architects of Wisdom.”
Our job shifts toward teaching our digital twins how to be more ethical and empathetic. We become the curators of our own legacy. Think about the impact: if a community activist can train an AI on their methods of community building, that knowledge survives to help the next generation. This creates “Recursive Impact.” Each generation builds upon the synthetic wisdom of the last. We aren’t losing our jobs; we are gaining a way to leave a permanent mark.
Europe’s Role: Leading with Values
Europe is the ideal location to spearhead this change. We put the individual and the community on top of pure profit. The strong data protection laws we have are meant to ensure these twins aren’t exploited, along with a social solidarity tradition.
Picture a European network of “Knowledge Volunteers” – these are the experts who have their synthetic twins at the disposal of a common platform. A student in a remote area might have the same level of reasoning as a top scientist; a refugee could receive the help of a local integration expert. This technology is already here. What we really need is the social determination to utilize it for the common good. The conversation has to be shifted from “How can AI make more money? ” to “How can AI make us better neighbors?”
Conclusion
We are heading to a future in which your top ideas can continue to exist, and forever assist your community. Essentially, it is about capturing the best of what makes us humanour knowledge and our willingness to help and giving it a digital engine.
The greatest innovation of AI will not be in the speed of its calculations, but rather in how much more “human” it enables us to be.
We can stop perceiving AI as a threat and instead view it as an opportunity to be better neighbors. A neighbor who is there for you always, even in a digital form, is what a just society is fundamentally made of.
About the Author:
Anett Győri is a Hungarian illustrator and researcher whose work merges scientific precision with lyrical storytelling. A member of the 100 Artists of Europe project, she specializes in translating complex academic data into accessible visual narratives. Her practice focuses on democratizing knowledge and humanizing research through art. In this article, she extends her vision to the “Synthetic Self,” exploring how digital expertise can be harnessed as a sovereign asset for social impact. You can connect with her via Facebook.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yygyori/
Reference sources:
https://usanews.com/newsroom/anett-gy%C5%91ri-where-scientific-precision-meets-lyrical-illustration
https://magyarnemzet.hu/belfold/2025/10/louvre-rablas-szegedi-egyetemista
Email: yygyori@gmail.com
References & Further Reading
On Digital Sovereignty in Europe: * European Commission: Europe’s Digital Decade and Digital Sovereignty. https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age_en
This supports the claim that Europe is prioritizing individual control over data and AI.
MIT Technology Review: The era of the personal AI is here. https://www.technologyreview.com/
Provides context for the “Synthetic Self” as a growing technological reality.
On Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Evolution:
Harvard Business Review: The Truth About CSR. https://hbr.org/2015/01/the-truth-about-csr
On the Democratization of AI and Knowledge:
United Nations (UN) – Digital Cooperation: The importance of narrowing the digital gap for social equity. * https://www.un.org/en/content/digital-cooperation-roadmap/
The header image was created using digital tools and AI.