Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk recently declared publicly that humans should beware of the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). I couldn’t agree more.
Of course, Musk is at the forefront of modern technology – with his Tesla and SpaceX companies making headlines by leaps and bounds – so he has more than a bit of insight into the subject of AI. But not surprisingly, some of the things he has said about it are being disputed by other so-called technological leaders and are even being called “irresponsible” and labeled “fear mongering.”
But I’m on his side when he calls AI “far more dangerous than nukes.”
Here’s the deal: As I’ve pondered for years, AI is often perceived as this benign, peaceable source of comfort, efficiency and service that will make being human a much easier and enjoyable task. But I believe it’s an unknown that needs to be examined from a much broader viewpoint, and the people involved in developing it must recognize every aspect its potential.
Here’s how Musk puts it: “The biggest issue I see with so-called AI experts is that they think they know more than they do, and they think they’re smarter than they actually are. This tends to plague smart people. They define themselves by their intelligence and they don’t like the idea that a machine could be way smarter than them, so they discount the idea — which is fundamentally flawed.”
Remember Jeff Goldblum playing Dr. Ian Malcolm in the original “Jurassic Park” flick? Malcolm was dealing with people who valued their intelligence more than common sense, and was full of apprehension about the attempt to make dinosaurs into theme park attractions. Of course, we all know what happened.
“Boy do I hate being right all the time,” Malcolm said.
In the same vein, imagine a machine that can think for itself, so to speak, and doesn’t need human interaction to exist. As it progresses (or evolves, if you will), it gets smarter and better, and maybe veers away from – or adds to – its original “assignment.”
Would it then “take offense” to human intervention?
“I’m very close to the cutting edge in AI and it scares the hell out of me,” Musk said. “It’s capable of vastly more than almost anyone knows and the rate of improvement is exponential.”
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is among the AI supporters who have criticized Musk for his stance on the issue. Musk is steadfast, though, and calls people who discredit his warnings, “fools.”
Personally, I don’t mind the idea of machines doing more for humans than they currently do, but I draw the line at being told what to do, or how, when or where to do it. Basically, I don’t want a machine to stare at me with one big glass eye and ask why I did something or what I intend to do now that I’ve done it.
No, I want machines (now and forever) to remain nothing more than mechanical objects that respond to human commands. And I want them to have an “off” switch or button I can flip or push at any time – without even the slightest resistance or objection.
As Musk points out, AI doesn’t represent a “threat” in the short term. But like Musk, I’m concerned that AI could develop so quickly and comprehensively that it outpaces our ability to safely manage it.
“It’s really all about laying the groundwork to make sure that if humanity collectively decides that creating digital super intelligence is the right move, then we should do so very, very carefully,” Musk said. “This is the most important thing that we could possibly do.”
In other words, we best not be “fools” about this.
In turn, Musk proposes a set of governmental regulatory moves ahead of the advent of advanced AI, rather than the usual after-the-fact measures.
“AI is a rare case where I think we need to be proactive in regulation than be reactive,” he said.
Indeed, because with AI, there might not be an opportunity to apply our standard reactive approach. That said, why would we not be heed Musk’s warnings and be abnormally proactive about this specific subject? What could it hurt (except maybe the rise of the first-ever machine-ruled society)?
Musk has also made clear he isn’t necessarily opposed to AI, he just wants to make sure we don’t all end up on the wrong side in a real-life science fiction movie.
“We do want a close coupling between collective human intelligence and digital intelligence,” he said.
Sheesh, “digital intelligence.” I still clearly recall when radios had dials and when nobody had a phone in their pocket.
The good news is, even artificial intelligence is something God is in charge of, and whatever happens with it will be part of His amazing plan.
Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald.
Email: ddavison@houstonherald.com.