Are you concerned about AI? Or in the least, hearing about it at every turn, swipe, water cooler and coffee hang?
I had my haircut in Santa Monica a few weeks back and the Barber said the only three things anyone talks about anymore is; the writer’s strike, the wacky weather (of climate change), and artificial intelligence. He said it with a snort, joking that his profession may be one of the last few jobs left in the coming years. I wonder if that’s even true. I’ve seen what those robot dogs can do.
You can debate the merits and value or impending doom of it all (I discussed the boredom embedded in AI art here), but I’m interested in the human experience outside of it. Or rather, what the forthcoming implications reveal about society and our human condition at large. Soothsaying the unspoken topics that sort of dance in the shadow of the larger discussion.
The thing that I am most fascinated by right now (and see little to no discussion on), surrounds the response of our current leadership at all levels, both in the private sector and politics. I think it demonstrates something that probably most mavericks, punk rockers, social liberators, and wise thinkers have always been arguing; they don’t have your best interest at heart.
Let me break it down.
Say we figure out the classic terrifying elements of AI. We build safeguards and functions that protect us physically and existentially from the seemingly endless ways in which tech can go off the rails. We’re then left with a limitless possibility of ingenuity, production, idea formation and the potential to solve and cure many maladies with the stroke of a prompt or button. We can in essence, remove the busy work, get rid of the mundane, release the sweatshops, and theoretically move on to higher purpose and meaning as humans. (This is all highly speculative, and I don’t claim to necessarily believe in this type of outcome, but suspend your imagination and join me for a moment...)
So if there is a magic button that we can press to bring about simple solutions to complex problems, thanks to the combined power of AI and quantum computing, then why does our leadership fail to make a bold and daring proclamation, one that would usher in a new age of human potential and thriving. Why don’t they say this;
We know that the coming advancements of AI technologies will uproot and transform nearly every aspect of our lives. We understand that the current way in which people function in our society is through their productivity, their title, and the perceived value they bring to a business. We understand that these activities and transactions are necessary for the survival of everyone in a modern society; your advancement, your income, your housing, your ability to eat.
So we promise NOW, years before this technology takes full effect, that when this new era takes hold, we are dedicated to ensuring each and every human being affected will be taken care of. We will provide retooling and re-skilling. Education programs, spiritual and philosophical advancement, and community connection.
We will provide basic income due to the surplus of capital that these technologies provide. We will ensure that these technologies are used to uplift all corners of the general public, reinvesting in housing, infrastructure, clean water and agriculture, and we will usher in a new age of centering on the well-being of the human person, leaning on technology as a tool of our own growth, rather than a weapon of the elite class.
Hmmmm…
Why haven’t we heard this?
Because we know who will own it. Who will wield it. And Why.
I think it’s actually kind of darkly hilarious. It’s so obvious and in our face.
Sure congress or parliaments around the world slowly debate it in mumbling, stuffy debate, but not a single leader, multinational corporation, or powerful group has come even close to suggesting that they are laying the groundwork for a societal shift. We hear half-hearted reports of regulation between talk of missing submarines and smokey skies in NYC.
The AI debate reveals something troubling; they aren’t even considering taking care of us.
Because that would mean that we would have to share. It would mean attempting to distribute resources in a more fair and just way. It would mean that we would have to attempt to actually fix things, rather than making them ever more effective for a group of people devoid of empathy.
I’ve always wondered why in our modern age we don’t have politicians that get up, and actually genuinely go balls-to-the-wall hard for change. Wouldn’t it be way doper to have a school or airport named after you because you actually made lives better. Not because you sort of… showed up. Do they ever feel even the slightest bit seasick that we continue to all slide into a decaying society while they shrug their shoulders. Why don’t they ever just give it a good old honest college try. I’m not talking about culture war, or progressive things (although I have many thoughts on this and hope for a more open society), I’m just talking about actually lifting more people out of poverty, feeding more mouths, healing more hearts and minds, and giving people at least a fair chance at being able to discover more about themselves and their lives instead of struggling to make rent week after week.
These AI tools could possibly provide more of us with what we need to thrive, and yet not one of them is promising us that they will do anything in any way to ensure that we are protected and considered as they move forward. Sure you can (MAYBE) protect us from a deepfake here, a hack there, possibly even hold onto a couple jobs in a sector or two for the time being… but why isn’t the entirety of the conversation built around a better tomorrow?
We should demand more than late protections. We should demand that our leaders and businesses strive for the best outcomes for the most of us. If we are robbed of our ability to engage in a capitalist society through our effort, then we should be provided with some basic (and I hate the use of basic here- it should be honest and just) structure of civil life moving forward.
Keep an eye on what they promise us. Keep an eye on who promises to protect us.
But also, beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing. Those that stoke fear and promise, then lead us out of darkness into the jaws of ignorance. It has to be balanced. It has to be human. It has to be for everyone.
Good news isn’t good news unless it is for everyone. No scapegoats. No Boogeymen.
The only villains are those who suggest that only some can win. Only some deserve it. The ones who claim that “some just have to lose.” I don’t trust those people. They’ve never given it a fair try in their lives.
I want leaders who see within the fabric of our intricate and sophisticated society more opportunities for expansion. I want creatives. I want poets and painters. I want dreamers and those who demand we go further than we ever dreamed. I want those who stitch back together, those lost in a chasm of superstition and deceit. I want those who remind us we are brothers and sisters. That we can be one kingdom.
Don’t promise hope. Make it so.
Use these tools to make us a family once again. Lead with love, not fear.
The AI debate and discussion reveals that we have to look out for each other, because they aren’t looking out for us.