The real issue is who the "we" is in "that we can lay the foundation for truly humanistic AI transformation: one that strengthens our societies, deepens our relationships, and supercharges our development." The "we" operating in the PRC believes that they are doing exactly that. In a diverse, pluralistic society, there must be multiple "we's" subject to only limited government oversight.
p.s. The invention of the printing press with movable type and the consequent availability of the Bible in the vernacular undoubtedly contributed to centuries of religious strife between Roman Catholics and protestant sects. However, the printing press was nevertheless an incredible step forward.
We have had many socioeconomic-transformative technological advancements; but starting with the Internet and now AI, the previous had impacted specific markets. The automobile impacted horse and buggy markets. Electricity impacted the oil and candle lamp industry. Aircraft transformed the passenger ship market. The telephone impacted the telegraph and mail delivery. TV impacted the radio market.
The Internet was a first technological advancement that disrupted almost everything. AI runs atop the Internet infrastructure and does more of the same.
The primary concerning disruption is wholesale domestic job destruction. The Internet supported offshoring of jobs that would have otherwise remained domestic. AI simply replaces human labor with machine code and robotics.
Considering the history and trajectory of human evolutionary psychology, the lack of work should be considered the primary technological risk/harm to humanity.
The human animal is built for struggle. The Hedonic Treadmill is real in that we reset our expectations to the current level of stable life, but then demand more. We always want more. It is our blessing and our curse. It is our ying and yang. Wanting more results in innovation, growth, progress, exploration, discovery, etc. It also results in war. However, it is not a switch we can just turn off despite the left scarcity mindset (which I theorize is more a class competitive strategy than a real virtue). If we lack enough productive career paths because technology takes all the jobs, then people will pursue their own path to gain… and it will be increasingly harmful to the overall human condition.
We absolutely know that a good paying job is important to sustain a good life. We spend hundreds of billions each year to help create and retain jobs.
What we will need are new laws, regulations and policies that provide incentives for business to hire real flesh and blood workers. We also need to blow up the old 150-year old lecture education model to a modern marvel that teaches people how to use technology in ways that take innovation, growth, progress, exploration, etc., to new levels.
We cannot stop the advance of technology, we only need to accept that a sustainable system requires socioeconomic guardrails.
The author said "these technologies collectively tribalized our discourse, eroded shared truth, degraded our ability to bridge differences, and ultimately fractured our polities." What fractured our polities is incompetent, feckless political leaders more interested in keeping personal power, status and money than governing. Pathetic.
> In this moment, it takes courage to remind ourselves that none of this is inevitable and that we can lay the foundation for a truly humanistic AI transformation: one that strengthens our societies, deepens our relationships, and supercharges our development.
Like what? I didn't understand what the piece was concretely talking about.
Very well said. Thank you for this piece. But - what are we, the concerned, to do? We stand hopelessly by as a handful of Masters of the Universe wield unfathomable capital ($Ts), deploying earth’s most talented engineers, and blinding themselves with utopian cheerleading that they’re ushering in the cure to cancer and trans-human evolution. How do we, the concerned, agitate for these people to slow down? To erect guardrails? To NOT create perverse engagement incentives when their competitors most certainly will? When their shareholders demand they do? Capitalism births this alien race and demands it be unleashed on us all in its most manipulative ways to fetch its highest ROI.
Help us understand how we, the concerned, the regular, the backbone of humanity, how we can rise up to stop this? 😳
The real issue is who the "we" is in "that we can lay the foundation for truly humanistic AI transformation: one that strengthens our societies, deepens our relationships, and supercharges our development." The "we" operating in the PRC believes that they are doing exactly that. In a diverse, pluralistic society, there must be multiple "we's" subject to only limited government oversight.
p.s. The invention of the printing press with movable type and the consequent availability of the Bible in the vernacular undoubtedly contributed to centuries of religious strife between Roman Catholics and protestant sects. However, the printing press was nevertheless an incredible step forward.
We have had many socioeconomic-transformative technological advancements; but starting with the Internet and now AI, the previous had impacted specific markets. The automobile impacted horse and buggy markets. Electricity impacted the oil and candle lamp industry. Aircraft transformed the passenger ship market. The telephone impacted the telegraph and mail delivery. TV impacted the radio market.
The Internet was a first technological advancement that disrupted almost everything. AI runs atop the Internet infrastructure and does more of the same.
The primary concerning disruption is wholesale domestic job destruction. The Internet supported offshoring of jobs that would have otherwise remained domestic. AI simply replaces human labor with machine code and robotics.
Considering the history and trajectory of human evolutionary psychology, the lack of work should be considered the primary technological risk/harm to humanity.
The human animal is built for struggle. The Hedonic Treadmill is real in that we reset our expectations to the current level of stable life, but then demand more. We always want more. It is our blessing and our curse. It is our ying and yang. Wanting more results in innovation, growth, progress, exploration, discovery, etc. It also results in war. However, it is not a switch we can just turn off despite the left scarcity mindset (which I theorize is more a class competitive strategy than a real virtue). If we lack enough productive career paths because technology takes all the jobs, then people will pursue their own path to gain… and it will be increasingly harmful to the overall human condition.
We absolutely know that a good paying job is important to sustain a good life. We spend hundreds of billions each year to help create and retain jobs.
What we will need are new laws, regulations and policies that provide incentives for business to hire real flesh and blood workers. We also need to blow up the old 150-year old lecture education model to a modern marvel that teaches people how to use technology in ways that take innovation, growth, progress, exploration, etc., to new levels.
We cannot stop the advance of technology, we only need to accept that a sustainable system requires socioeconomic guardrails.
Sounds like a reason not to use chatbots....
The author said "these technologies collectively tribalized our discourse, eroded shared truth, degraded our ability to bridge differences, and ultimately fractured our polities." What fractured our polities is incompetent, feckless political leaders more interested in keeping personal power, status and money than governing. Pathetic.
terrifying
> In this moment, it takes courage to remind ourselves that none of this is inevitable and that we can lay the foundation for a truly humanistic AI transformation: one that strengthens our societies, deepens our relationships, and supercharges our development.
Like what? I didn't understand what the piece was concretely talking about.
Very well said. Thank you for this piece. But - what are we, the concerned, to do? We stand hopelessly by as a handful of Masters of the Universe wield unfathomable capital ($Ts), deploying earth’s most talented engineers, and blinding themselves with utopian cheerleading that they’re ushering in the cure to cancer and trans-human evolution. How do we, the concerned, agitate for these people to slow down? To erect guardrails? To NOT create perverse engagement incentives when their competitors most certainly will? When their shareholders demand they do? Capitalism births this alien race and demands it be unleashed on us all in its most manipulative ways to fetch its highest ROI.
Help us understand how we, the concerned, the regular, the backbone of humanity, how we can rise up to stop this? 😳
https://washingtonspectator.org/a-reflection-on-the-alaska-summit/