While a lot of people have heard the term “AI” bandied around lately, unless you are somehow connected to the industry, most don’t really have a conception of what it is, the impact it is having, and how it may well change the way we think about ourselves as humans.
That is in part why I chose to write this book, “AI-AGI Revolution – Will It Change What It Means To Be HUMAN?”
Purchase on Amazon:
- Amazon US: www.ElegantisVitae.com/airevolutionbook-us
- Amazon UK: www.ElegantisVitae.com/airevolutionbook-uk
First, let’s define some terms. AI stands for Artificial Intelligence, which is the ability of machines to perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence. AGI stands for Artificial General Intelligence, which is the ability of machines to perform any intellectual task that a human can do. In other words, AGI is the next level of AI.
So, what does this mean for humans?
One of the most significant ways that this will change what it means to be human is in the way we work. AI-AGI machines will be able to take over many of the tasks that we currently do, such as driving, marketing, office work and so much more. This will supposedly free us up to do more creative and fulfilling work, and it will also give us more leisure time – but we heard that at the onset of the Industrial Revolution, so why is this different?
The Industrial Revolution and the introduction of steam power marked a significant turning point in human history, transforming the way we work, live, and interact with the world around us. However, the AI revolution is fundamentally different from the industrial revolution and the introduction of steam power.
At its core, the Industrial Revolution was a period of great innovation, marked by the widespread adoption of new technologies, including steam power, that enabled faster and more efficient production of goods, and faster and more efficient transportation of those goods. This led to a significant increase in productivity and economic growth, but it also brought about significant social and environmental changes, such as the rise of urbanization and the degradation of natural resources.
Regardless of the speed and impact of change, the steam-powered industrial revolution was still driven, managed, and controlled by people. If there were machines to automate operations, there first needed to be people to program those machines.
The AI revolution represents a fundamental shift in the way we interact with technology and the world around us. AI technologies have the potential to revolutionize everything from healthcare to transportation, and they are already beginning to transform the way we work and live – and increasingly AI is moving closer to a point where human involvement will be considered optional, not essential.
Another significant differences between the Industrial Revolution and the AI revolution is the speed at which change is occurring. While the Industrial Revolution unfolded over several decades, the AI revolution is happening much more quickly. Advances in machine learning and other AI technologies are occurring at an exponential rate, and it is likely that the pace of change will only accelerate in the coming years.
However, with this rapid pace of change comes significant risks and challenges. One of the most pressing concerns related to the AI revolution is the danger posed by the “intelligence” part of artificial intelligence. While AI systems can be incredibly powerful and effective, they can also be unpredictable, difficult to control, and confidently make stuff up! There are also have concerns regarding safety and security.
Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak and over 1,000 other influential people in the field have already signed an open letter requesting a pause on the development of AI (we touch on that later).
Italy has gone so far as to ban, at least temporarily, the AI application, ChatGPT, following a security breach where “it was possible for some users to see another active user’s first and last name, email address, payment address, the last four digits (only) of a credit card number, and credit card expiration date,” according to an OpenAI spokesman.
Even the tone of the response by OpenAI seemed to be one of suggesting people were overreacting because “Full credit card numbers were not exposed at any time,” and that they patched the breach as soon as it was discovered (nine hours after the breach occurred).
The rapid pace of change and the potential risks associated with the “intelligence” part of artificial intelligence require us to approach this technological revolution with caution and responsibility, and to ensure that the development and use of these technologies are aligned with the needs and values of society.
This is not simply the next industrial revolution – far from it.
AI has made significant progress in recent years, with machines that can seemingly ‘think’ – recognize speech, translate languages, play games, and even write poetry. However, despite these impressive achievements, AI still lacks the kind of self-awareness and consciousness that is characteristic of human beings – but not everyone agrees. This has led to debates about the nature of consciousness and whether machines can truly think and be self-aware.
This also raises questions about whether machines can ever be considered truly alive or whether they are simply sophisticated tools that mimic human behaviour. Some argue that machines can never be truly conscious because they lack the kind of subjective experience that humans have. Others argue that consciousness is simply a product of information processing and that machines can, in theory, be conscious if they are programmed in the right way.
Then there is the question of whether machines can have free will, which is closely tied to the idea of consciousness. Free will is the ability to make choices that are not determined by external factors. If AI reaches a point where it is fully independent from any human input, learning from its own successes and failures, can it then be argued that AI has free will to decide what it does next?
Another important consideration is the ethical implications of creating machines that are capable of what we might consider as thought and even consciousness. If machines can truly think and feel, then it becomes more difficult to justify treating them as mere objects or tools. This raises important questions about the ethics of creating and using AI and whether we have a moral obligation to consider the well-being of conscious machines.
It is these and many other considerations that lead me to write this book: “AI-AGI Revolution – Will It Change What It Means To Be HUMAN?”
I hope it provides food for thought…
~ Bella