Project HumAInity
Project HumAInity (project-humainity.net) is a Dutch research initiative examining the boundary between human and machine intelligence. The project investigates what remains distinctively human — in thinking, feeling and creating — as artificial intelligence systems become more capable. It publishes analyses, maintains a knowledge dossier on AI, and facilitates community discussion through social media channels.
Background
The project was initiated by Ir. Wouter de Heij, based in Wageningen through Food4Innovations. De Heij approaches the subject from an engineering and systems-thinking perspective, emphasising curiosity and nuance over sensationalism. The project engages contributors from academia, philosophy, art, and psychology, and builds its knowledge base from scientific literature and open sources.
Topics
Project HumAInity addresses the following themes:
- Human versus machine intelligence — consciousness, creativity, and emotion as distinctively human capacities; the limits of what AI systems can replicate
- AI and the economy — labour market implications, the energy and infrastructure costs of large-scale AI deployment, and investment dynamics in the AI sector
- AI risk and hype — financial instability in the AI industry, the gap between AI capabilities and public expectations
- Learning and decision-making — how AI changes the way people learn, work, and make decisions
- Ethics and empathy — moral awareness in AI development and the societal implications of autonomous systems
Articles
-
De grenzen van AI: energie, kosten en de toekomst van werk (April 2026) — Analysis of how AI development has shifted from a software challenge to an energy and infrastructure challenge, and what this means for the future of work.
-
De AI-zeepbel: waarom de grootste gok van Silicon Valley steeds gevaarlijker wordt (December 2025) — Examination of investment risks and signs of financial instability in the AI sector.
-
Voorbij de slimheid: de ware aard van menselijke intelligentie (November 2025) — Contrast between machine data processing and the qualities of human intelligence that go beyond information retrieval.
Related projects
- Klimaatfeiten.net — sister site on climate science and energy systems
- StikstofInfo.net — sister site on nitrogen policy in the Netherlands