One of the most interesting explorations of AI futures I’ve read. My personal take is you focus is on the potential for AI products to become autonomous actors, whereas the more pressing existential risk is the one here currently: the deliberate choice for people to offload their thinking onto AI systems that are optimised for it, creating a homogeneity of thought and expression which dramatically limits our potential for the creative thinking and innovation we need to face real challenges. And this ‘collective brain’ can, and will, be easily manipulated by powerful humans such as in tech companies and governments.
I want to say a very emphatic "yes AND this". Thank you for raising it. I'm working on a short series, and I want to get to this aspect too. Appreciate you co-travelling, and will be keen to hear what you think of that one when I finish it :)
I’ve had to pause (for a bike ride) at around 70%, but had to drop a thank you first.
I’ve been thinking of swapping the iPhone for a ‘brick phone’ except for a controlled window each workday. The logistics of how I’d stay visible for work etc slowed the thought process down (admittedly often stopped it altogether), but I found a lot of oomph in this piece to push through and find a system to hugely limit the time I give my mind to addictive social media.
Also, as terrifying as it is having so many unarticulated fears about AI confirmed, I find strange comfort in the likening of these systems to biological systems. As a cynic who generally doubts the possibility of any control on any AI whatsoever, the idea that they may eventually self control is some relief.
One way to think about separating ponds in our online space is the fediverse (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fediverse). I think a big struggle is that it's so much *easier* to be in the wholly connected internet, so it's been hard to get wide uptake on the fediverse and break things up. But hopefully we find a way to make that switch more enticing, make staying feel more painful, so more of the masses will take the leap.
Did you attend the recent summit at MIT to discuss the future of AI? If not, please contact the organizers. They need your perspective, especially if not represented by anyone else! Thank you for your writing!
This is a really interesting thought! And perhaps especially true for the borders between languages – the creoles where language is most alive / changing and evolving fastest. Slang as a friction for AI agents... Thank you for this!
One of the most interesting explorations of AI futures I’ve read. My personal take is you focus is on the potential for AI products to become autonomous actors, whereas the more pressing existential risk is the one here currently: the deliberate choice for people to offload their thinking onto AI systems that are optimised for it, creating a homogeneity of thought and expression which dramatically limits our potential for the creative thinking and innovation we need to face real challenges. And this ‘collective brain’ can, and will, be easily manipulated by powerful humans such as in tech companies and governments.
I want to say a very emphatic "yes AND this". Thank you for raising it. I'm working on a short series, and I want to get to this aspect too. Appreciate you co-travelling, and will be keen to hear what you think of that one when I finish it :)
I’ve had to pause (for a bike ride) at around 70%, but had to drop a thank you first.
I’ve been thinking of swapping the iPhone for a ‘brick phone’ except for a controlled window each workday. The logistics of how I’d stay visible for work etc slowed the thought process down (admittedly often stopped it altogether), but I found a lot of oomph in this piece to push through and find a system to hugely limit the time I give my mind to addictive social media.
Also, as terrifying as it is having so many unarticulated fears about AI confirmed, I find strange comfort in the likening of these systems to biological systems. As a cynic who generally doubts the possibility of any control on any AI whatsoever, the idea that they may eventually self control is some relief.
I look forward to reading the conclusion!
One way to think about separating ponds in our online space is the fediverse (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fediverse). I think a big struggle is that it's so much *easier* to be in the wholly connected internet, so it's been hard to get wide uptake on the fediverse and break things up. But hopefully we find a way to make that switch more enticing, make staying feel more painful, so more of the masses will take the leap.
Did you attend the recent summit at MIT to discuss the future of AI? If not, please contact the organizers. They need your perspective, especially if not represented by anyone else! Thank you for your writing!
This is a really interesting thought! And perhaps especially true for the borders between languages – the creoles where language is most alive / changing and evolving fastest. Slang as a friction for AI agents... Thank you for this!