The ambiguity in the title may provide some harmless fun, but for many, artificial intelligence (AI) is not remotely their idea of fun. In this techno-accelerating world, nevertheless, the increasing thickness of the AI profile will activate a number of emotions. There is admiration, even excitement or scepticism, contempt and even fear, though perhaps mainly indifference or a passive acceptance.
One broad view is that AI is the 21st Century version of its big mate from two centuries earlier, namely the Industrial Revolution. Yet, AI is vastly more complex, highly beneficial and potentially much more dangerous. In both cases, there is an unprecedented awe at the amazing skills of fellow humans achieving such technical or technological innovation. Yet the certain future substitution of AI for more than a few human functions in the workplace is also a big worry. Even the Pope has published a message of deep anxiety on this very subject.
The progress in AI development is at a phenomenal rate, with several major AI companies soon going public – that’s selling shares in the respective company to the public. The reader may buy some. Be careful; the sellers are the ones who’ll be making the many billions of US Dollars, and while the buyer may also make gains, one should never forget the dot-com revolution. It was a great contributor in many respects, but it produced a bubble, and some ostensibly solid investments went bust. There is, and will be, a massive investment (especially in data centres) by AI companies. That also creates investor risk. One strong view exists that a public wealth fund should be set up from a substantial portion of the billions the big AI investors are making; some hope.
At present, the biggest fear is probably the likely large-scale redundancies. There will be an enormous scope for companies to reduce employees though it will vary considerably. Elon Musk predicts 100 million robots in the world in four years’ time! Including perhaps even your own robot! Right now, a rather spooky prospect. We, the customers, won’t necessarily be happy with the de-humanisation factor. The winning service provider might be one that retains the human touch. In many areas of business activity, unemployment may be avoided, where employees are given the opportunity to adjust to the degree of automation by using the time saved to increase productivity and, thus, product or service competitiveness.
However, there’s a word that is going to have an increasing degree of significance as AI progresses and absorbs human activity. That word is ‘trust’. Let’s start with the driverless vehicle. With the assistance of sensors and circuits, it is basically a car run under AI; enabling the driver to sit back or even sleep while the vehicle moves. Trust applies in the very big step of taking the wheel from the driver; also, trusting the vehicle not to turn in the wrong direction and kill someone.
One area where trust will not be enough without firm international collaboration is the risk, according to many AI company CEOs and even Nobel Laureates, of human extinction through the next stage of AI. This stage is known as Superintelligent AI, and it’s just around the corner. Already, one new AI system called Claude Mythos, recently developed by a top AI company, can identify security vulnerabilities in every major operating system and then exploit them independently, without human intervention. There are many views on this, but cyber-penetration and attacks could move to an entirely new level, with human beings even becoming irrelevant. One answer is an agreed international moratorium, recognising that Superintelligent AI is a global security risk. The objective would be to put further AI development on the back burner or even prohibit it.
Daily life goes on in the meantime. Most people do not realise that AI already increasingly permeates every economy and society. The only real evidence of AI – despite most smartphones containing AI tools – is in the form of conversational chatbots like ChatGPT; marvellous in its ability to respond to your touch or voice and answer a really tricky question in a matter of seconds.
One concern in that area is the risk of public writing – such as reports, letters and CVs – being simply handed over to ChatGPT and others. You’ll get the most elaborate prose imaginable back from AI, but too sophisticated; well above the pay grade of all but the finest writers in the world. That product, losing the creativity and individuality of the writer, currently goes straight into the recipient’s bin.
But not forever. There are already ways of changing the style of an existing AI product to suit the needs and sensitivities of the recipient. I will never consciously use AI myself except for important enquiries, such as whether eating too much green vegetable will soon turn me into a plant. So, I guess I’ll be out of a job soon. I’ll just have to transfer the weekly message to shouting from a pedestal near a popular walk zone. Just like the town crier of previous centuries, barking out my views from a prominent position in the city centre. Is it against the law to throw rotten tomatoes at an unpopular speaker?
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