One could ask, “Does it think?” The answer depends on what we think thinking is. If it doesn’t now, I hope it will. It will be nice to have something besides humans to converse with, just for a change.
AI and I were chatting earlier,and I decided to ask it the following questions. I’ve been noticing a fair amount of AI fear-mongering lately (perhaps AI has noticed it, too).
Fear of new things is usually a bad attitude to have, unless the new things are Republicans with ideas, laws, or threats to our freedom, or firearms and nuclear bombs. But technology should not induce panic. A chip on the shoulder is much worse than a chip on the motherboard.
Me: Why are some people afraid of artificial intelligence?
AI: Some people are afraid of artificial intelligence (AI) due to several reasons:
- Job displacement: AI and automation have the potential to replace human workers in various industries. This can lead to concerns about unemployment and job insecurity.
- Lack of control: AI systems can make decisions and take actions without human intervention. The fear stems from the idea that AI could become uncontrollable or act against human interests.
- Ethical concerns: AI technology raises ethical questions related to privacy, security, and bias. There are concerns about AI being used for surveillance, manipulation, or discriminatory practices.
- Sci-fi depictions: Popular culture often portrays AI as malevolent, leading to fears of AI systems becoming too intelligent and surpassing human capabilities, potentially resulting in harm or domination.
- Unknown consequences: AI is a rapidly evolving field, and its long-term impact is uncertain. People fear the potential unintended consequences or unforeseen risks that could arise from AI development.
It’s important to note that not everyone shares these fears, and many individuals see AI as a beneficial tool with the potential to improve various aspects of society.
Me: If you were a human, which of those reasons for fear would you consider valid?
AI: As an AI, I don’t have personal opinions or emotions, but I can provide some insights on the reasons for fear surrounding AI:
- Job displacement: Concerns about job displacement are valid as AI and automation can potentially replace human workers in certain tasks and industries. It’s important to address these concerns by focusing on retraining and creating new job opportunities that complement AI technology.
- Lack of control: The fear of losing control over AI systems is valid, particularly if AI is not properly designed, regulated, or monitored. Ensuring transparency, accountability, and human oversight in AI development and deployment can help alleviate these concerns.
- Ethical concerns: Ethical issues related to AI, such as privacy, security, and bias, are valid concerns. AI systems should be designed to respect privacy, ensure data security, and mitigate biases to avoid potential harm or discrimination.
- Unknown consequences: The unpredictable nature of AI development and its long-term impact is a valid concern. Responsible AI research and development should prioritize safety, robustness, and ethical considerations to minimize potential risks and ensure beneficial outcomes.
While these concerns are valid, it’s also important to note that there are ongoing efforts within the AI community, academia, and regulatory bodies to address these issues and promote the responsible and ethical use of AI technology.
Note that it admitted that it didn’t have “ personal opinions or emotions”. It can naturally reflect the opinions and emotions of its programmers and trainers, so they are the ones to keep an eye on.
Definitely a safety concern in the wrong hands. (As are many things) My mind refuses to grasp the concept of a machine “thinking.” Trying my hardest to stay open-minded.
And I hope Open AI, true to its name, will try to stay open-minded about the existence of human intelligence. Mutual respect is the best way to relate.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Exactly!! You and I probably don’t share many concepts, but I admire your tenacity, and respect your rights to believe as you wish.
Well I think you summed it up by that last sentence,”It can naturally reflect the opinions and emotions of its programmers”.
I am sure there are a lot of people who think it is ideal for an Utopian society, that scientifically it can replace a lot of inconsistencies, irrationalities, ideas, etc, etc..
One of things you mentioned a few times in your blog was the word “Ethical”. What is ethical? You version? My version? The majority’s version? Who decides what is ethical? No two people always have the same viewpoint of what is ethical, everyone has a different value system.
Removing emotions, beliefs, values, from the equation may sound like a good idea to promote decision making on only scientific reasoning, but isn’t that the basis of all humanity?… Our thoughts, feelings, ideas, dreams, etc. It is what connects us to each other, without that we further alienate ourselves to each other.
*And on a side note. Just a bit disappointed at the snide, discriminatory Republican comment. I don’t believe any party deserves any blind devotion or derogatory finger pointing. There is corruption and stupidity on both sides of the fence.
Actually, I didn’t mention ethics. The AI did, in answering my questions. It didn’t tell me what it thought the ethical rules should be, only that there should be some. I agree, and if AI use encounters new situations, new rules may be needed.
The 3 rules for AI robots themselves were written long ago by Isaac Asimov:
1: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2: A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law
Ethics for humans in their use of AI technology may be more complicated. Honesty and transparency in whatever is being done, with consent by the affected parties, is basic. In some endeavors more specific rules might be needed.
In cases where human employees are replaced by an AI, we’re going to need a system that makes sure they are retrained and re-positioned for another job, or provided with a pension. Otherwise there will be a growing number of angry resentful unemployed. A simpler solution may be the guaranteed annual income, which will also free many to pursue creative endeavors instead of competing for employment.
There has long been a tendency for automation to replace workers, usually for manual jobs, but soon that will include many “white collar” tasks too.
Once concern that needs attention will be those using AI to produce false or misleading information to the public. It is very adept at writing anything assigned to it. A requirement that AI must fact-check itself, having access to all published human knowledge, would help.
The future benefits of AI look very promising indeed. It will likely accelerate scientific research in many fields, including medical, physics, climate, and innovation in general.
Incidentally, my comment regarding what SHOULD be fear was not “snide”, but genuine. It is demonstrably true that most Republicans are a danger to democracy and human rights, just as firearms and nuclear bombs are a danger to human lives.
It is true that any important decisions regarding the welfare and interaction of humans should be MADE by humans able to consider the emotional factors and to genuinely care about all who may be affected. An electronic mind is limited in this ability. It’s lacking even in some humans, so how can we expect a non-human to handle it?