Contrary to the opinion of former wrestling promoter and current Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, AI is not a steak sauce. Our future with AI lies somewhere between Total Armageddon and Blissful Utopia. Given that its driving force is capitalism and is being steered under the watchful eye of government, what could go wrong?
While Armageddon, or the last battle between good and evil on the biblical hill of Megiddo, is a strong contender, I’m betting (hoping) for a better outcome. One thing is certain, however, it will be a double-edged sword. AI has the potential to benefit mankind with advances in such things as medical science, but it also will have an impact on how we work and live. I already see its influence on research and decision-making.
In my photography, AI is built into my camera’s autofocus system where it learns to recognize faces and track eyes with precision. Both Photoshop and Lightroom use AI to edit the raw images. My video editing software, Power Director, also makes extensive use of AI to enhance image quality and perform other complicated tasks. My new computer has a neural processing unit (NPU) to supplement the CPU and GPU to assist with handling AI tasks locally.
If you type the question, “How will artificial intelligence change the future,” the response from the Google AI Overview engine tells me:
“Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to significantly reshape the future across various sectors, including the economy, workforce, and daily life. AI is expected to drive economic growth by boosting productivity and efficiency through automation and improved decision-making. However, this transformation also raises concerns about job displacement and the need for workforce adaptation. AI's influence extends to healthcare, where it promises personalized treatments and improved diagnostics, and to transportation, where self-driving vehicles are becoming a reality. Ethical considerations surrounding bias, privacy, and transparency will be crucial in ensuring responsible AI adoption.”
I have read predictions that 30% of the current US workforce will be placed at risk in the next 5 years. This is not just factory automation but includes office worker tasks for data entry clerks, paralegals, financial analysts, and content creators. Adapting to this new world of technology will require changes in our education system and who better to provide such guidance than a wrestling promoter being guided by a reality show host.
I gave AI another chance to be insightful when I asked it to come up with a list of world leaders who were sociopaths with fragile egos. After a brief caveat that indicated difficulty with properly diagnosing psychological issues without a thorough examination, even citing the Goldwater Rule that prohibits psychiatrists from offering such opinions on public figures, it did come up with a historical list.
Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong were easy examples of ASPD, or Antisocial Personality Disorder. One such query even suggested including Caligula, the Roman emperor, and his tyrannical reign of paranoia and cruelty. I guess Caligula’s ordering his legions to collect seashells and declaring war on the god Poseidon violated social norms and gave a vague indication of a break with reality.
AI responses seemed to avoid any current prominent figures that had not already been adjudicated in the courts. People like Bernie Madoff, Ted Bundy, and Jeffrey Dahmer were seen as deceitful and manipulative and the latter two had been officially diagnosed with ASPD.
Among the traits listed by AI associated with psychopathy and ASPD, were brutality and complete disregard for the feelings of others. Their inability to handle criticism and their demand for absolute loyalty are key traits. Knowing that AI has a good roadmap for such behavior, one name seemed to be conspicuously missing. It would seem that AI has learned some level of diplomacy and is loath to come up with a prominent name that would match these indicators. Current political figures seem to be off limits.
To test this AI hypothesis further, I specifically asked the question, “Does X suffer from ASPD?” The reply was very human indeed. AI said that, while some commentators, psychiatrists, and psychologists, “have raised questions about the mental health of X and whether he may have ASPD,” it went on to take cover in the Goldwater Rule, stating that it would be unethical to offer a professional opinion on the mental health of a political figure. I’m glad to see that AI considers itself to be “professional.”
So, for now, psychiatry seems to be one profession safe from the ravages of Artificial Intelligence. Now, if only we can get AI to develop fruits, nuts and vegetables that can pick themselves, place themselves on little trays, wrap themselves in plastic with a price sticker that can be read by the automated cashier, we can solve our nasty immigration problem. Until then our only hope is that X decides to take a trip into outer space, take a spacewalk outside the ship, get locked out, and when he asks the HAL 9000 computer to open the pod bay doors hears, “I’m sorry, Donald, I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
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