There's been a flurry of fascinating books lately about the rise of AI and the possibilities of the
future. I've become somewhat of an expert in this field just in terms of having read and engaged with these issues for the last few years. I'm convinced that AI presents the greatest threat to humanity we face, mostly because while all can see that an asteroid collision is bad news, the approach of AI doesn't look menacing at all.
One of the most frustrating aspects of this blindness to me is the inability of so many scientists to take relationship seriously. Nick Bostorm in Superintelligence seems to assume that the highest human aspiration goes no farther than making money. Ramez Naam in More Than Human sees life as little more than spectacular mechanics. Michio Kaku in The Future of the Mind conceives of the possibility of human intelligence recycling the universe through a distant future Big Bang, without recognizing that this contradicts his view of the spiritless current universe. (The human spirit could create one but not a divine spirit?) The guru of the Singularity concept and current head of Google engineering, Ray Kurzweil, dreams of someday reconstructing his father, rebuilding a similar body and filling its digital brain with information about the man, as if that would recreate the person. But is there any one of us who would gladly accept a copy of our loved one in place of the real person? They don't seem to realize that no matter how good an art forgery is, its value lies in its authenticity, and for good reason.
All this speculation seems like a childish dream of replacing all nutrition with chocolate and homework with video games. The vision goes no further than immediate gratification, almost entirely ignoring the crucial dark side of life. The only reason we reached adulthood is we survived a lifetime of hardship and hard work, which is both difficult and good. Also, for some reason such materialists don't seem to recognize that one of the pinnacles of human experience is immaterial and thus largely beyond the reach of science: relationships. As much as we treasure our loved ones, the way to enrich life isn't replicating those entities mechanically, it's being present in the present with living people! That cannot be replicated, only experienced.
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| "Encounter", charcoal by Tim Holmes |
One of the most frustrating aspects of this blindness to me is the inability of so many scientists to take relationship seriously. Nick Bostorm in Superintelligence seems to assume that the highest human aspiration goes no farther than making money. Ramez Naam in More Than Human sees life as little more than spectacular mechanics. Michio Kaku in The Future of the Mind conceives of the possibility of human intelligence recycling the universe through a distant future Big Bang, without recognizing that this contradicts his view of the spiritless current universe. (The human spirit could create one but not a divine spirit?) The guru of the Singularity concept and current head of Google engineering, Ray Kurzweil, dreams of someday reconstructing his father, rebuilding a similar body and filling its digital brain with information about the man, as if that would recreate the person. But is there any one of us who would gladly accept a copy of our loved one in place of the real person? They don't seem to realize that no matter how good an art forgery is, its value lies in its authenticity, and for good reason.
All this speculation seems like a childish dream of replacing all nutrition with chocolate and homework with video games. The vision goes no further than immediate gratification, almost entirely ignoring the crucial dark side of life. The only reason we reached adulthood is we survived a lifetime of hardship and hard work, which is both difficult and good. Also, for some reason such materialists don't seem to recognize that one of the pinnacles of human experience is immaterial and thus largely beyond the reach of science: relationships. As much as we treasure our loved ones, the way to enrich life isn't replicating those entities mechanically, it's being present in the present with living people! That cannot be replicated, only experienced.
2 comments:
Sadly, I think this is a result of Academy no longer taking Religious Studies seriously. Also physicist who dare venture beyond the facts and delve into meaning should avail themselves to the humanities in general. I wonder what people would say of Shakespeare if English was no longer seen to be worthy of study.
I share your frustration.
Tim,
Fascinating to read your thoughts, and I am much struck by your charcoal drawing. Such vigor, and mystery, at the same time. Truly wonderful. And your being invited to show at the Hermitage Museum is simply a mindblower. However, I can see why.
I think your gloom may be a bit premature. I'm a psychotherapist, and also a computer aficionado, so cognitive science is right up my alley. My considered take on it is that we are a very long way from threatening ourselves with AI. Is it a threat? Sure. Along with emergent new diseases, asteroids, and who knows what else. Threat MADE us, via evolution. We may yet be overcome, but we are inclined to worry and be wary, and this has kept us alive so far. I just wish we could muster a bit more intelligence, as we worry and play with our fears.
As for scientists' ignoring relationship. allow me to speak from my professional position: the very heart of developmental psychology and research based psychotherapy is about relationship. I can recommend to you a single excellent starting point to which will validate this assertion:
Siegel, D. J. (2012). The developing mind: how relationships and the brain interact to shape who we are. New York: Guilford Press.
This popular and hugely influential book, now in second edition, is highly readable, yet challenging, and very carefully sourced. It is all about relationship as the source of self.
Has popular culture caught up with this? No, no more than it's caught up with the wonders of serious art. But this is nothing new, and no cause for despair.
I am almost constantly reminded of H.G. Wells comment: human history is a perpetual race between education and catastrophe.
Some days, I too see only the catastrophe. But the rest of the time I'm working hard to see that it doesn't happen.
All the best to you, and thanks for your thoughts.
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