Reflections on AI

When a crowd jumps into sewage water, we should investigate why before dubbing them fools. Why are they jumping into sickening water? Do they not know it is polluted? If so, why not? Have they been deceived, lied to, mislead about it? Or are they negligent, irresponsible, lacking the sense to validate the status of the water? (In which case, they may be dubbed fools).

But if they do know it’s polluted, why jump in? Are they city workers, in safety suits, fixing an underwater pipe; or do they have a similar reasonable explanation? Or have they developed some compulsive behaviour or addiction to swimming in sewage? Or do they simply not care about being drenched in filth? (Again, in which case they’re fools).

To see the why is to see the level of wisdom or foolishness.

Now, a similar but unprecedented question haunts us: Why are the masses using (so-called) artificial “intelligence” (AI)? Why are they jumping into this technology? Do they not smell its stench? Of course, by “AI” I do not simply mean the technology of computer neural networks and probability algorithms, a technology that is many years old. Rather, I mean the broader and newer sense that refers to recent commercial, neural-network-based software, such as ChatGPT, much of which came into prominence around 2024 and that has since been spreading amongst us – nay, been forced upon us by corporations and managers and politicians and peer pressure. Why are the masses swimming in this AI sludge?

In response, the following chants rise from the masses:

• AI improves the efficiency of parts of our jobs; it makes us more productive.
• AI is convenient; it gifts us with an easier and more pleasurable way to do certain tasks, and find certain information, and get counselling, and fill certain psychological needs, and think about something, than the old way without AI and which involves, for example, patience and perseverance and books and counsellors and human interaction and deep thinking.
• AI is here to stay, and we don’t want to fall behind those who embrace it.
• Our employers and work environments require – either explicitly or through subtle manipulation – that we use (and celebrate) AI.
• AI cuts company costs by cutting down the required size of the work force.
• AI helps us achieve certain things that were previously (pre-AI) difficult or impossible, such as having a camera trigger an alarm only if it sees a human, or having a highly efficient way to monitor and report on the actions and behaviours of our workers and citizens.

Now, is wisdom living in these chants? Have the masses offered good reasons or justifications for the use of AI? Perhaps not, because these chants lack the crucial discussion about whether AI is inherently or overall good, evil, or neutral. If evil, then AI should be avoided; else it may be used. But some reflection reveals that AI has a dark side, a very dark and sinister side, a side that robs humanity of job opportunities, of purpose and fulfillment, of growth through friction and perseverance, of independence, of the benefits of deep thinking, of the need to be needed, of creativity, of social interactions, of humanity itself. A dark side that has an engineered addictive lure, which attracts victims, keeps them, and bleeds them of their funds for the benefit of AI corporations. A darkness that deceives many into thinking that AI is a legitimate companion, an authentic relational and social being, a him or a her.

Surely, then, we will agree that AI has both pros and cons, benefits and drawbacks, good and bad aspects. But isn’t the most terrifying and darkest evil one that hides behind goodness, one that has pros and benefits and good aspects? A drop of poison can hide within a cup of otherwise clean and healthy water. A murderer shows love to his children and kindness to his friends. A corrupt politician hides his wickedness behind charity donations and other good public deeds.

Therefore, before embracing AI, you should address this issue to determine whether AI’s benefits outweigh its darkness, or whether AI is akin to a drop of poison, a murderer, a corrupt politician. At least, you should do this if you don’t wish to be a fool.