Part Two:
Machine Intelligence is gaining power 24-7, 365 days a year. It never sleeps or rests. It continues to grow at a rate that presently outpaces every human brain by hundreds of thousands if not millions of bits of information. Three or four years ago it was assumed that humans could control AI. It is now obvious that Machine Intelligence (MI), not humans, is taking charge.
Is there hope for humanity – our species? Starting in 2015, I began to wrap my mind around what we then called Artificial Intelligence and was amazed that it had so many positive applications to education. By 2023 I understood a much darker and awful projection of humanity’s future. I was not aware of any way this alien intelligence would not be based on some of the worst propensities of our species.
I knew that MI was modeled after the way the human brain works. I knew that a few humans had chosen the course of evil, cruelty, greed, war, raping the planet’s resources, and the abuse of other life; the dark side of humanity. At the same time, I know from experience that the great majority of human beings incorporate empathy, compassion, happiness and care into their everyday lives. In fact, thinking back to the 10,000 or more students and acquaintances I got to know, I had personally met only two human beings who had been corrupted by the dark side. As I traveled and studied around the world, I knew that humanity was basically good, and those few who are insane had committed the horrors we are all aware of as featured in the news. I feared that a super intelligence would weigh the good against the evil and that the weight of the negative attributes of humankind would be the final chapter in our story.
It is not! Late in 2023 I learned about a man who had once led the most advanced innovation laboratory dedicated to the development of MI. He is a primary source of information who has been there and done that. He knew the history and projected the future of our relationship with the super MI intelligence. He sees ways to offset the misuse of AI toward negative ends by tapping the good, the ethical, the strength, and the beauty at the heart of our species. If you are not yet acquainted with Mo Gawdat and his insights, read Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World.
That will explain why when I query MI for information or for help in research, I now always say ‘Thank You!’.