There is a saying about the future, that trying to predict it is like driving down a country road, at night, with your headlights off and looking through the rear view mirror. In other words, we should expect nothing and be prepared for everything. I believe that an open mind combined with critical thinking and adaptability, and a bit of skepticism for what we hear and read, is the way to navigate these unknown waters.
I really do think we're at a crossroads. AI isn't the threat. It's another tool that will be used to restrict, monitor and control our behavior. The scary thing is the public is always at least 10 years behind in knowing what's really technologically achievable. So if we think that tech start ups that needed millions in venture capital funding, just so we can use AI to design a web site or make music. What do you think our governments that spend billions every year on "research and development" are capable of? The US Pentagon gets over 1 trillion in funding a year. But this can't be even be verified, because they have never completed an audit. So who are they actually accountable too? Certainly no congress.
A tangent: You refer to AI as a tool. Is that your default term/perspective on AI? I'm going to post a note someday to get responses that will read something like: "How we respond to AGI will largely be determined by our perspective on what it is--what stories we tell about it.
Should we think of it as principally a tool? a benevolent dictator, or malevolent one? A brilliant assistant? A friend? Yuval Harari calls it an alien, nonorganic, intelligent agent. Does that seem right? Richard Danzig says it is an information processing ecosystem operating like other such ecosystems, such as financial markets and bureaucracies."
I will then ask for replies in Notes, for people to tell me how they think about AGI. Is your answer--it is a tool?
Absolutely! But this just "another tool" is much more powerful than any other tool that's ever been in widespread distribution, right? So since this extra powerful tool is now emerging from within the same old scary system, run by the Patagon, etc, we are in deep shit!
There is a saying about the future, that trying to predict it is like driving down a country road, at night, with your headlights off and looking through the rear view mirror. In other words, we should expect nothing and be prepared for everything. I believe that an open mind combined with critical thinking and adaptability, and a bit of skepticism for what we hear and read, is the way to navigate these unknown waters.
I really do think we're at a crossroads. AI isn't the threat. It's another tool that will be used to restrict, monitor and control our behavior. The scary thing is the public is always at least 10 years behind in knowing what's really technologically achievable. So if we think that tech start ups that needed millions in venture capital funding, just so we can use AI to design a web site or make music. What do you think our governments that spend billions every year on "research and development" are capable of? The US Pentagon gets over 1 trillion in funding a year. But this can't be even be verified, because they have never completed an audit. So who are they actually accountable too? Certainly no congress.
A tangent: You refer to AI as a tool. Is that your default term/perspective on AI? I'm going to post a note someday to get responses that will read something like: "How we respond to AGI will largely be determined by our perspective on what it is--what stories we tell about it.
Should we think of it as principally a tool? a benevolent dictator, or malevolent one? A brilliant assistant? A friend? Yuval Harari calls it an alien, nonorganic, intelligent agent. Does that seem right? Richard Danzig says it is an information processing ecosystem operating like other such ecosystems, such as financial markets and bureaucracies."
I will then ask for replies in Notes, for people to tell me how they think about AGI. Is your answer--it is a tool?
Absolutely! But this just "another tool" is much more powerful than any other tool that's ever been in widespread distribution, right? So since this extra powerful tool is now emerging from within the same old scary system, run by the Patagon, etc, we are in deep shit!
It's overwhelming to think how many things we should prepare for. This one is a sure bet. Thanks for the insight!