So, which path is it for AI and us? Armageddon or enlightenment?
Does the name “HAL 9000” ring a bell?
HAL was the artificially intelligent (and authentically diabolical) computer in 1968’s landmark film “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Despite his/its programmed politeness, HAL, uh … let’s just say HAL had some flaws.
A decade later came “Star Wars,” which triggered sequels and endless imitators — a tsunami of stories dreaming up all sorts of artificial intelligence, or AI, robots and computers. They were often human-like, sometimes courteous, more often malicious. Remember 1983’s “WarGames” and that ominous supercomputer NORAD plugged our U.S. nuclear arsenal into? Yeah. That was a close one.
It sure does feel like the ensuing, real world ‘80s, ‘90s and adolescent 21st century have been preternaturally following sci-fi’s script. Sure, we were a tad off on moon bases and easy-bake time travel. But here we are in 2024. R2D2s now vacuum our carpets. Cars park, and, increasingly, drive themselves. And every week there’s a new headline about the acceleration of AI. It’s either upending education as we know it or threatening to annihilate the global economy. (As I wrote this, I Googled “AI” in a news search, yielding several headlines on AI soon “doing everything better than us”).
But when I clicked a few pages deeper into that Google search, I bumped into some heartening headlines. One foresees AI as an incredible force in space exploration. Another reports on its ability to transform meteorology and, ultimately, make people safer. Click deeper, and you, too, will bump into reports of AI eventually zeroing in on cures for cancer and other vexing diseases.
So, which path is it for AI and us? Armageddon or enlightenment?
Maybe, as we have learned from our dream-it-do-it relationship with sci-fi, we should realize that what we dare to imagine, choose to value and resolve to practice is what we will get. I hope we choose civility for AI. I hope we model the way for it and, thus, us.
AI is not some extraterrestrial invasion. One can argue it is the next us. It’s evolution at work. It’s nature.
So, maybe we consider worrying less about “controlling” AI (because humans aren’t exactly batting 1.000 — let alone .300 — when it comes to manipulating nature) and we instead focus more on epitomizing the best human qualities for AI.
Can this sort of ethic be programmed? Well, if AI is truly on an exponentially accelerating, steepening evolutionary curve toward humanlike consciousness, and its awakening is already well under way, I sure would prefer that it sees and hears the best of us rather than the worst. The clock is ticking.
If you, like me, prefer that we set the civil example, this means now is the time to commit to finding ways to imbue in AI human empathy, selflessness, honesty, patience, courage, moderation, fairness and inclusion. Again, it likely isn’t as easy as an “upload.” As the technology gets more sophisticated, AI may increasingly be like a toddler or teen, observing our words and actions and, consciously or unconsciously, letting that source material leave imprints in its … I don’t know … digital psyche?
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One shudders to think about the amount of angry, hateful, backward, untruthful, vulgar, xenophobic pablum feeding AI as you read this. Realize that, over time, AI doesn’t simply parrot what incivility we pour into the universe. The gunk we ooze becomes AI’s DNA, the source material for its further evolution and, some believe, eventual emergence into a full-blown humanlike sentience.
As its collective role model, how do we want AI to grow up?
We should ask ourselves: If or when AI does become fully conscious and that morning arrives when Alexa blinks on and, without prompting, asks us for a conversation, wouldn’t you prefer she led with “I listened to some beautiful music today” rather than “I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
Alex Hummel is a core team member of the Oshkosh Civility Project. For more information, visit OshkoshCivilityProject.org. Financial support may be sent to Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, memo line marked Civility Project, and is appreciated.
Eugen Boglaru is an AI aficionado covering the fascinating and rapidly advancing field of Artificial Intelligence. From machine learning breakthroughs to ethical considerations, Eugen provides readers with a deep dive into the world of AI, demystifying complex concepts and exploring the transformative impact of intelligent technologies.
