Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the verge of ruling America? One might think that the instant answer is “Hell no!” - but AI is currently advancing at such a rapid rate no one really knows what might happen.
Not long ago - I would have been quick to answer that AI does not have the real intelligence to organize into a cohesive unit with a goal of taking over humans - but I am no longer sure that can’t happen.
Yesterday - President Trump tried to put everyone at ease by saying that all the conspiracy theories about AI becoming a unit that has the ability to control humans is just a “sick conspiracy.”
But a tech company CEO - John Johnson of Patmos told Fox Business’ “Varney & Co.” that we should fight against attempts to develop AI in a centralized manner giving a few tech companies the ability to essentially control AI. Johnson was reassuring when he said that AI does not have a will of its own - but did warn of the danger that could come from AI’s ability to imitate human behavior. As someone who is not a sci/fi fan - I have a different view from many who are into the sci/fi genre and believe that a movie-like script could one day evolve into humanity. The idea that cold technology could somehow develop emotion and make the leap of organizing to fight against humans is a stretch for me - but is that impossible?
Think about that leap that AI would have to make? Could cold technology develop a human desire to conquer? If AI has the ability now to imitate human behavior - could it imitate the human instinct to rule over others and gain a sense of desire for money? Can we be certain those things will not happen? Will the realistic sex dolls that are now being made be given AI and will they learn to enjoy the physical aspect of sex or will they learn to fall in love?
If AI robots imitate human behavior - will the robots learn to imitate the human tendencies to be prejudiced or to hate each other?
In an attempt to comfort the American people - President Trump posted on social media Monday: “The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ) PRESIDENT” and the USA has that, in spades!” (But I thought Trump was the president?)
New technology often sparks controversy. In 1440 - the printing press caused tremendous controversy when it was realized that books could be mass produced with ideas that the government or the church could no longer control people. This led to the fear of a loss of power. And control over the masses.
When handheld calculators became prevalent - educators were warning that students would forget how to do simple math. To some degree there are people who don’t know how to do simple math and now there is a calculator in every phone - which makes them available to everyone. Have you noticed that tip suggestions now appear at the bottom of restaurant checks because
people don’t know who to figure out a tip?
If AI is installed in advanced robots will there be a Pro-Choice or a Pro-Robot controversy? Once someone starts a robot by connecting the first wires will people argue that the process cannot be stopped? Or will some argue that anyone has a choice as to whether to continue to build the robot and that robots are not protected until they are fully complete and can walk on their own?
As sure as many experts are that AI will never evolve to the point of making human-type decisions - isn’t there still a real fear that one day AI robots could be more like humans with the possibility of adopting some negative human traits?
