AI and the Social/Moral Dilemma
AI is something that is coming of age. Although true AI (Artificial Intelligence) is still in its infancy the social structure is beginning to do its thing.
That thing that people do when taking their own perspective and run computations out to infinity. Depending on your starting point we all arrive at different locations of a future belief of outcome. Movies, commentaries and news all serve to give us the starting point depending on where we are at the moment of reading or listening.
Having given some thought to this moral dilemma of AI, i came to the conclusion that we are wrestling with the idea in future context from a Carl Jung ego level argument process. What i don't believe we have done yet is looked at the future of AI from Carl Jung’s Shadow perspective. Certainly we have experienced the fears that emanate from the shadow but not in the context of the motivation of the fear.
Under postmodern theory much of our value is derived from material things (Science). Careers, philanthropy, status and many other material concepts all make up the matrix of a humans meaning. Personal Branding is a bellwether of this theory. Our shadow concept of self is built around these very dynamic actions and reflections of experiences each day.
AI, although being offered as a way to reduce costs, increase free time and make life easier, it has a shadow outcome that we are now only scratching the surface. AI is slowly replacing everything we use to develop our postmodern self.
We talk to bots that grow better than us each day, we see AI replacing routine repetitive task and we are now seeing big data making decisions and choices at the highest of levels. Our meaning is being encircled and under attack. If only on the periphery, we are starting to sense the change and its possible impacts. Somewhat like the frog in the rising heat of the water. It's comfortable now and we may even add some bubbles to the water, but off in the deepest parts of our subconscious we sense a due date.
If AI exists that i can not strive above, economic value is produced for me and no material things i produced are available for me to share with my family/community, then why do i exist?
Author in Source Title
Many find meaning in the expansion of knowledge with an endgame of financial success and independence. We all have a view of helping others, the subjectivity enters when we place our own stabilized basic needs first. This first priority, which sounds reasonable, is what AI may be threatening within our shadow. Motivating the fear.
Much of life meaning comes from sacrifice. We sacrifice for each other daily. I use my being, wisdom, education or physical capabilities in sacrifice to others. This sacrifice is what AI is venturing into that makes us think about that future without the sacrifice.
Philosophers were wrestling with these issues long before AI was even a sci-fi concept. Man's search for meaning has transcended the mystical to the scientific. This experience has lead to new and exciting meanings as we socialize each generation. Now we find science replacing human endeavour (Independence) at levels we find meaning.
What are we doing if AI is taking care of our aging parents?
The social extension of AI in to the future is not only a ethical issue but has a deeper shadow interference of mans meaning. Conceptually in a post AI world we will have to find meaning within each other which is somewhat contrary to the postmodern thinking. We may find ourselves back at the mystical.
Why would i need a Phd in anything?
Google is already changing the way way we educate at the deepest levels. The transfer of information is no longer stored inside our minds but a server farm somewhere, waiting for need to arise. What Henry Ford did for manufacturing Google has done with information. I need not memorize the books for later use in concept formation, i have Google.
Google's recent adventure with China is demonstrating how they can fine tune the engine for moral concepts held by China. The intelligence of design can now control the flow of information according to moral/ideals creation by others.
Information in conjunction with action is the road where we find meaning, whether a picture brought home by our 1st grader of a dinosaur or the grand revelations of the latest astronomer, meaning is found in these two categories of existence. If we give Google, the information highway organizer, the hands feet and mind within a body.........
I found this thought through eclectic reading/listening of several articles and videos. It intrigued me as we look at a future where our status or meaning are generally wrapped up in what we “do/own”. If AI is replacing what we “Do/own” then where does mankind go to find meaning in this new world we are creating?
The marketed outcome of AI is certainly glorious, but it removes the postmodern meaning of the knowledge and actions of humanity.
Author in Source Title
Within AI, although a scientific endeavor, we find ourselves deep inside our own heads wondering why we love it or hate it.
I would enjoy any thoughts on this topic.
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Comments
Harvey Lloyd
5 years ago #15
I agree. The door, just as the door with the atomic bomb, is open. Avoiding conflict of biblical proportions will be the goal. Phil on your post touched on one of my fears as silicon valley and their worldview seem to be at the helm of AI. I am not encouraged. There is a Utopian view of outcome along with one that is quite catastrophic. Each are, at this point, merely straw-men of future outcomes from a perspective of an individual. Again i agree with Phil that we cant preach from this futuristic straw-man position. But rather need to talk about the low resolution values that all humans should be guided. This would enable us to examine future tech through humanities common vision. Right now it seems that each group has their own low-res value set (me included). AI in this atmosphere could develop disastrously. Great discussion and i appreciate your engagement in this topic.
Zacharias 🐝 Voulgaris
5 years ago #14
Evolutionary successor implies that AI stems from us organically. This is not the case, no matter how clearly the futurists paint this picture. If advanced AIs succeed us, it won't be through a natural process but through a bloody conflict. The possibility of an intelligent species serving another for millennia sounds quite idealistic and perhaps a bit twisted. How long will it be before these advanced AIs will become self-aware? What would you call this then? Definitely not symbiosis. Speaking of symbiosis, perhaps that's a more likely scenario. For this to happen however, people need to evolve too, instead of outsourcing everything to AIs. I somehow doubt that this scenario will be as popular though since it requires some effort from our part...
Harvey Lloyd
5 years ago #13
That is the discussion. Has humanity created its evolutionary successor or brought to life its helper for the next milinnia? I dont think either one of the paths will be easy. There will be the ones left behind in this race of technology and those that are propelled forward.
Harvey Lloyd
5 years ago #12
the beginning of the end is already here. The question is what direction will it take and is it sustainable across social strata? We have ended the narrow funnel of information into the wide open space of information. So much so that AI is starting to look possible. We can account for all forms of emotional action across social media. It can be analyzed and parsed for the best possible response. Information is so vast now that folks like Google are beginning to understand they can manipulate information ever so slightly and focus their earnings. They need not lobby washington they can merely shift a few alogarythems and many people get a snoot cup of biased information. Challenging Washington’s authority. So the end has happened the question is what is the next step. I am on board with you this will develop into the best thing since canned beer or we will be writing on cave walls again.
Mohammed Abdul Jawad
5 years ago #11
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #10
Harvey Lloyd
5 years ago #9
Harvey Lloyd
5 years ago #8
I wanted to deal with the word empathy separately. In some if not a large swath of cases empathy and progress seem mutually exclusive. I am reminded of the Windows operating system end of life process. XP is dead. But this systems is what a lot of low income folks wind up using through hand me down computers. This is a case where empathy in reality is difficult and expensive to maintain. The owner of a cyborg will have advantages that others do not. It will become increasingly difficult to not abandon those who do not have this game changing technology. Empathy in action is much different than empathy in feeling. Part of the design criteria should be, IMHO, to insure these advantages are well distributed. Empathy right now would include deep discussions about the IQ spectrum of humans and how we can bring them/me forward to this new world we are designing. Two economies seem to be developing and each is large enough to over throw the other. How do we get these two economies back together? AI could be this merger piece we are missing. It could bridge the IQ spectrum and level the playing field for equal opportunity. History says that it will only make it divisive. I hope that your thoughts along the lines of preparation for this, is one we take seriously.
Harvey Lloyd
5 years ago #7
I agree the two perspectives carry their own pros and cons. Looking at history through evolutionary biology and psychology i can only imagine that we will imprint this process onto the machine itself. Given fifty years, just as time has evolved us, the machine itself will evolve. On its own or through our intervention. From my perspective i see the incremental change that evolves in humans. Each round we tend to add some advantage to the cycle. The advantage is not always malevolent but collectively it becomes malevolent. Lobbying congress was a mutual way that folks could get information to decision makers and secure wise decisions. Now its become all about advantage that is lopsided at best, malevolent at worse. I find it difficult to believe that systems of the future will not take this incremental advantage to new levels. Human nature. My main focus is to the transcendence of where we find our meaning. My industry, industrial Coating and Linings saw some tremendous advances brought on by EPA/VOC laws. These advances brought equipment and processes that most of the great employees i had were now outside the trade or craft. No job. One of the main reasons i left the industry. Managing technology was not their strong suit, they were great at analogue. So i am seeing one of the worlds of Next Generation Star Trek where the whole planet doesn't work and a computer is government. Sounds Utopian. But how do we get from here to there? Several generations will be left behind as we transition. Thanks for your comment and do enjoy your posts on the topic.
Zacharias 🐝 Voulgaris
5 years ago #6
Ali Anani
5 years ago #5
English isn't my mother tongue. So, as any learner, understanding Grammar helps in understanding a foreign language. I still remember I before E except after C and had before before and had after after. When I write such grammar rules toll in my mind. I laughed while reading your comment. This is because your wrote "I remember in grammar school having an argument with my english teacher".Grammar school and you wrote english. My English teacher used to scorn me for not writing it as English. Grammar is rules and too many rules may perplex the mind and tire it. You are lucky to escape such limitations.
Harvey Lloyd
5 years ago #4
I write alot for myself. But my confidence is in a small group meeting and speaking. You have encouraged me to post more of my writing but it is still a challenge (I am the word butcher when it comes to my own language.). Thanks you for the encouragement. I remember in grammar school having an argument with my english teacher. The word from and form were interchangeable for me at that time. She, with all the kindness, tried to get me to understand. On a paper i had to write she called me out during class while reading my paper aloud. She expressed the differences for the millionth time. When she had finished i raised my hand and asked if she had understood the meaning of my paper. She stated, yes. I said, that proves they are interchangeable, because the point was reason for writing the paper not grammer. Well that day i learned the difference, at the chalkboard writing two sentences using the two words. It was a huge chalkboard. So i am hard headed and the point is greater than the grammar. Two axioms that don't work well in social media.
Ali Anani
5 years ago #3
The best way to learn about any topic is to teach it or write about it Harvey Lloyd. A responsible author like you who cares for the readers and their time will find writing a huge responsibility. You succeeded.
Harvey Lloyd
5 years ago #2
Thank you Ali \ud83d\udc1d Anani, Brand Ambassador @beBee i have pondered over this topic for some time and couldn't get my finger on the source of irritation. I believe i have had a "revelation" in my own understanding of my fears of AI.
Ali Anani
5 years ago #1