We are bombarded with all kinds of breakthrough news on the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI). We need only look at the rapid development of Large Language Models (LLM) like ChatGPT to experience the future rushing towards humanity.
Many are ecstatic about the future of AI and the massive benefits it will bestow on humanity. Others are alarmed that uncontrolled development of AI will lead to humanity’s ultimate disaster. Where does the real future lie?
This article will be part of a series of reflection pieces on AI and its impact on humanity. It will take a close look at the seminal paper by Dr. Anthony Aguirre, Executive Director of the Future of Life Institute, arguably the most prominent scientific think tank grappling with this issue. Here is where you can find Dr. Aguirre’s article: “Keep the Human Future”.
About to Unleash the Hornet’s Nest?
The debates around AI center on three levels of AI development: sophisticated AI, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI).
Sophisticated AI is what we have today with all kinds of AI platforms proliferating. Here we have the pioneer ChatGPT LLM and all the other similar platforms that have mushroomed around this capability. Mixed with its many benefits in rapid transcription, audio and video production, rapid generation of answers to all kinds of questions, simple or complex, LLM platforms also have their problems.
But the debate around AGI and ASI are at a different level. AGI is AI that has the cognitive capacities of a human being, not just one or a few of the capabilities of humans. ASI is AI that has the intelligence of all of humanity combined.
Both technologies raise not just regulatory problems, but deep existential challenges. Although there are many different kinds of issues involved here, the worst scenario is human extinction.
The author has personally dealt with these issues from a scientific-spiritual perspective in his best-selling book, Humanity’s Last Stand. The Challenge of Artificial Intelligence. A Spiritual-Scientific Response, available at Amazon.
Summary Statement of the Essence of the Challenge
Sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) is already radically transforming all aspects of society. With the immanent emergence of Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) and the illusory temptations of ‘transhumanism’, mankind stands at a crossroads.
It is imperative that we take immediate steps to ensure that digitized technology is aligned to human values and priorities. Otherwise, ASI will kill the essence of our humanity. Further, if we do not master it now, ASI will transform mankind into its own image. Ultimately, it will destroy the human race.
The materialistic context of the alignment challenge in the development of AI, AGI and ASI is highly problematic. At its core, there is already a radical conflict between the true spiritual nature and values of the human beings as compared with AI’s transhuman concepts of perfecting humanity. As a New York Times editorial in the 1980s horrifyingly articulated the mechanical and death-like processes inherent in materialism, it said, approximately: The human being is complex and mysterious. Nonetheless, the human being is biological machine. It can be altered, cloned and patented.
In strategically dealing with the AI challenge, all human beings of goodwill need to cooperate with each other – with progressive individuals and movements, including scientists, civil society activists, socially engaged spiritual leaders, concerned AI inventors, government leaders and visionary business people – to mobilize for strategic action. Ultimately, humanity has to re-discover its spiritual compass of thousands of years and cooperate with the spiritual powers that have guided and served humanity since the dawn of time. This is humanity’s last stand, and failure is not an option.
In Part 2, we will take a close look at the profound analysis and warnings of Dr. Aguirre. He is not a lone voice. From years of research into this topic, I am confident that he speaks for a large swath of awakened humanity that does not want to see the human journey terminated and fed into a robotic caricature bereft of all meaning and purpose.
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