The Danger of AI: It Isn't Where We're Looking!

As a figurative sculptor I became alarmed at the way Americans view the body way back in the 80's. In trying to trace the source of my concern, I arrived at what I call The Erotic Crisis, a gradual abandonment of our bodies in a relentless pursuit of "Progress". (See my TEDx talk on The Erotic Crisis). Since it happens between us and our own flesh, it's very much like climate change on the inside!

While there are many branches of that nasty tree, the one that most alarms me is the threat posed by artificial intelligence (AI). I fully acknowledge the power and good possibilities of this remarkable technology (I think we'd be well-served by an AI U.S. President!), but the dangers are too great to ignore.

The tricky part here is that most people who address it are looking in the wrong direction. It's not the machine end of the relationship we need to worry about so much as the human end. The danger I see is not so much about AI reaching a certain capacity, but what happens to the human when the machine starts acting like an autonomous thing! We are very easily manipulable creatures precisely because we are capable of projection, personification and empathy. Even if AI never becomes autonomous humans can still be wildly manipulated despite our best efforts.

Back in the 60's a programmer developed as a lark the very first chatbot "counselor", a very simple program he named Eliza. But he quickly became alarmed when in no time his secretary began treating it like a friend instead of recognizing it as clever, but dead, algorithm. He tried to denounce his creation when he realized the danger and have it deleted (Frankenstein!), but by then it was too late. (Try it yourself HERE).

Concerned experts have been trying for years now to identify "Friendly AI", figuring out how to keep the AI from wiping out humans. Or, more accurately, how to keep humans from being wiped out once AI reaches an autonomous level. Bad news: no one yet knows how to do it. And still, researchers furiously try to race each other to the finish. 

This is the future of humanity we are talking about here and I feel it should be the subject of every gathering as the fuse burns. But the issues are subtle and the available tools like smartphones, are so useful and cute that it's hard to be alarmed.

I'm being interviewed on radio about this for a 90-minute talk show with Marisa Diaz-Waian on the subject in a week if you care to listen in and join the conversation:

Thurs. Mar. 31 8:30 AM (MST)

• Listen live here: https://newstalkkgvo.com/listen-live/popup/
• Call-in number: 406-721-1290
• Radio website: https://newstalkkgvo.com/
• On-demand interview recordings landing page (usually available within a week after airing): https://newstalkkgvo.com/radio-on-demand/

Meanwhile, I urge you to think clearly about your relationship to technology and how our love of the machine makes us daily less willing to live in our bodies. Don't abandon your body. Be an angel, but please while you still have a choice, choose to be an embodied animal on this beautiful earth too!