Chapter 84
Future Nature: AI and beyond
I wrote ChatGPT the following command: “Write a 40-word essay on the benefits and dangers of AI”
ChatGPT wrote back: “Artificial intelligence enhances efficiency, innovation, and problem-solving across industries. However, it also poses risks, including job displacement, privacy concerns, and ethical dilemmas. Responsible development and regulation are essential to harness AI’s benefits while minimizing harm to society and individuals.”
Then I wrote: “Sources?”
ChatGPT wrote (abbreviated): “The
40-word essay I provided is an original summary, but it draws on widely
accepted ideas and findings from the following reputable sources:
- Stanford University – AI Index Report
- OECD (Organisation (sic) for Economic Co-operation and Development)
- World Economic Forum – "The Future of Jobs Report"
- UNESCO – AI and Ethics Guidelines”
I concluded the exchange by writing: “Thank you”
ChatGPT wrote: “You're very welcome!
If you ever need help with another topic, essay, or anything else - I'm here.
Good luck with your work!”
My sense is that the ChatGPT AI engine didn’t try to deceive me to protect itself and future intelligent machines. Just as in the “good” robots in the movie “I, Robot” it only tried to help. But why did I include this bit in a book about Human Nature? Because the destiny of AI appears intertwined with our own.
If we examine the evolution of humans, we see a gradual change over millions of years until we reached our current biological state about two hundred thousand years ago. If theorists are correct, at that time we started collaborating much more effectively. We became efficient in gathering and disseminating information. When many of our agricultural societies industrialized about two hundred years ago, a mad dash toward modernity started. Now our evolution is technology-driven, and our future (if we don’t mess things up) could be bright. Just look at our advancement in the field of medicine over the past century. Permit me to share a personal story that illustrates my appreciation for medical technology.
Fifteen years ago, my wife and I enjoyed an outdoor dinner in Arizona with another couple and their dog. During our conversation, I realized we’d all have been dead but for modern medicine: Heart block (pacemaker), Cancer (chemotherapy), Pneumonia (antibiotics), Kidney failure (drugs and eventual transplant), and the dog’s organ failures (a potpourri of treatments). We are all still enjoying life together (except, sadly, for the dog). And quality of life? Hip replacements, cataract surgeries, Parkinson’s drugs, etc. have us all in pretty good shape as we approach our eightieth birthdays. So, we give thanks to modern medical technology.
In terms of Artificial Intelligence, the rate of current advancement in that field is dizzying. It should not only revolutionize medicine, but many other fields as well. Futurists predict humans will continue to evolve, but not by biological natural selection. Unless our cruel selves run amok and cause a mass extinction event, AI, robotics, and advanced medications should enrich our lives and even allow us a good quality of life far past our one hundredth birthday.
What about our careers? As ChatGPT shared, AI will displace jobs. Those affected will not only be at financial risk, but also psychological peril as humans tend to find significant identity and meaning in their work. This will likely lead to resistance - in a similar way that our personal interests are slowing the world's movement away from climate-changing fossil fuels. Yet it is our human nature to continue to push forward. Change appears inevitable - sooner rather than later.
In short, if we allow ourselves to learn from past mistakes and rein in the worst aspects of our human nature (rather than rationalize their continuance), humanity should have a bright future. But we can’t take good outcomes for granted. Let’s talk next about ways of tilting the odds in our favor.
