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Original poster

To worry that AI will alter the world beyond all recognition, and not for the better?

146 replies

Appalonia · 29/04/2023 19:45

I know it's only in its infancy but it's already created music, screenplays, works of art, photos, essays, marketing, and has the ability to create so much else which will basically erase the necessity for so many jobs, including creative ones. What will pp DO when most of us are essentially irrelevant? And what will be the purpose of life when there's no point learning a skill when AI can do it so much better, and cheaper? I was watching an interview with Elon Musk who was saying that universal basic income is the only way forward. Which is great, but, if human beings are going to become essentially redundant ( apart from purely physical jobs such as cooking, building, hairdressing, beauticians, farming etc), what will be the point of us?

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QuintanaRoo · 01/05/2023 18:58

The guy who invented the software chat gpt uses as resigned from google. He says he wishes he hadn’t invented it but if he hadn’t someone else would have but he says he’s very worried about it and what it means for mankind.

IcedPurple · 01/05/2023 19:23

I take the point made by several people above that every generation has its 'brave new world' scare. Previously, this was the internal combustion engine, the car, TV, the internet. Now it's A1. I do think this has the potential to be very dangerous but I guess past generations thought the same about the above too.

Most technological innovations put at risk blue collar jobs such as drivers, shop assistants or factory workers. This threatens middle class professions such as translators, lawyers, architects, lecturers and creative artists, which is an interesting distinction.

SerendipityJane · 01/05/2023 19:30

I take the point made by several people above that every generation has its 'brave new world' scare.

every generation throws a hero up the pop chart ?

The guy who invented the software chat gpt uses as resigned from google. He says he wishes he hadn’t invented it but if he hadn’t someone else would have but he says he’s very worried about it and what it means for mankind.

He should Google Robert Oppenheimer

mauveiscurious · 02/05/2023 07:09

What is coming from china is AI managing humans not replacing us as such. There is already much of that going on.

Have you not considered much of social media is AI

wheresit · 02/05/2023 07:41

Serious question, would anyone here jump into a job that was possibly going to be taken over in the next few years? I have a job offer right now that I'm wondering about.

Dutch1e · 02/05/2023 08:46

IcedPurple · 01/05/2023 19:23

I take the point made by several people above that every generation has its 'brave new world' scare. Previously, this was the internal combustion engine, the car, TV, the internet. Now it's A1. I do think this has the potential to be very dangerous but I guess past generations thought the same about the above too.

Most technological innovations put at risk blue collar jobs such as drivers, shop assistants or factory workers. This threatens middle class professions such as translators, lawyers, architects, lecturers and creative artists, which is an interesting distinction.

Not just middle-class professions. A gaming company called Netdragon Websoft has installed an AI bot as its CEO.

It's a bit of a gimmick but I can imagine quite a few overpaid suits suddenly being less inclined to embrace automation of their industries!

FelicityFlops · 02/05/2023 09:47

I can understand why some people might worry that artificial intelligence will alter the world beyond recognition, and not necessarily for the better. AI has the potential to revolutionise our lives and bring about significant improvements in various areas such as healthcare, transportation and education.
However, it's also true that AI has the potential to cause disruptions in the job market, increase inequality and even pose existential risks.
I think that the key to ensuring that AI is a force for good is to have responsible and ethical AI development practices. This means AI systems should be designed with human values and well-being in mind. These systems should be transparent and accountable.
We need to ensure that AI is developed in a way that benefits society as a whole and not just a privileged few.
It's also important for people to have a deeper understanding of AI and its implications. We need to educate ourselves about how AI works, its limitations and potential risks. This will allow us to make informed decisions and policies that can maximise the benefits of AI while minimising its potential risks.
It is natural to be concerned about how AI will change the world, but we should not let these fears paralyse us. Instead, we should work together to develop and implement responsible and ethical AI practices that can help ensure AI is a force for good.
Although how this would work in reality is an entirely different question.

Chatillon · 02/05/2023 10:02

I have been using AI for over 50 years. It has not only enabled me to do my job quicker, but enabled me to expand and deepen my technical offering when combined with my own ability to discern added value for the end individual customer.

EsmeSusanOgg · 02/05/2023 10:23

One of the big issues with AI at the moment, is that it relies on often unreliable source material to construct views/ opinions/ answers. There is no critical thinking, and no creativity. But companies (and individuals) hoping to save time and a bit of money are relying on it more and more for tasks where it is likely to provide inaccurate information - it is already helping propogate disinformation on a mass scale. People are using tools like ChatGP as if it is is infallible... When it clearly is not, and can only formulate responses based on the quality of source material. That could become increasingly damaging to society - especially around issues of bigotry and general misinformation (eg anti-vaxx conspiracies, Russian lies around the invasion of Ukraine and so on). There are also concerns about privacy, and whilst all these AI warn against adding private information, people will and do. And once that info is in its learning, it is there forever.

wheresmymojo · 02/05/2023 13:27

Well this is a timely thread based on this article in Sky News (see pics and link)

Perhaps it's even closer than the shortest estimates so far...

I think it's about as worrying as it gets that 1,000 people, many of whom would stand to make billions from AI developments are worried about this enough to take such a public stand including leaving extremely lucrative jobs at Google

news.sky.com/story/godfather-of-ai-geoffrey-hinton-warns-about-advancement-of-technology-after-leaving-google-job-12871065

To worry that AI will alter the world beyond all recognition, and not for the better?
To worry that AI will alter the world beyond all recognition, and not for the better?
wheresmymojo · 02/05/2023 13:31

Again...it's AGI that is the existential threat to humanity, not AI.

I believe the 30-50 year time span being quoted here is potentially referencing AGI?

I hope not!

wheresmymojo · 02/05/2023 13:41

I'd recommend this book for a good overview of the existential threat AGI could pose.

It's written in a much less dry and technical way than some of the other books on the same topic.

He starts off by painting a picture of what could, in theory, happen which is...illuminating.
^
Also talks through the various opinions^ about how worried we should be about the existential threat and whether 'friendly' AGI or AGI with safeguards is possible

To worry that AI will alter the world beyond all recognition, and not for the better?
QuintanaRoo · 02/05/2023 13:42

Is AGI artificially generated intelligence…..so stuff which may not be real, like CGI?

xyxygy · 02/05/2023 15:37

QuintanaRoo · 02/05/2023 13:42

Is AGI artificially generated intelligence…..so stuff which may not be real, like CGI?

No, it's "Artificial General Intelligence". Think of AIs as specialised, limited-function constructs. An AGI isn't specialised - it's capable of learning anything to the same degree as an AI specialised in any given function, and isn't even limited to things a human could learn.

xyxygy · 02/05/2023 15:41

xyxygy · 02/05/2023 15:37

No, it's "Artificial General Intelligence". Think of AIs as specialised, limited-function constructs. An AGI isn't specialised - it's capable of learning anything to the same degree as an AI specialised in any given function, and isn't even limited to things a human could learn.

Show quote history

...the key point that I missed out being that humans can, obviously, build and improve AGIs by that point, and so an AGI would also be able to do that. That's essentially the Skynet proposition - an AGI wouldn't be limited to its level of intelligence at conception, because it would be able to improve itself (and much faster than a human could do the same job), as well as being able to propagate itself by building more of the same.

Such an AGI would only be limited by hardware capability, but then...it would also, given the access, be able to redesign its hardware too.

QuintanaRoo · 02/05/2023 16:56

Just about to say it sounds like Skynet. That ended well!

Chatillon · 02/05/2023 19:49

If AI can learn how to strike or 'work' from home then it is totally 100% fucked.

girlfriend44 · 02/05/2023 22:36

I was filling in something earlier online and was asked did I want ai to do it so I didn't have to write out the words myself.

Ai did it wrong and came up with details that were not factually right.

I ended up deleting the AI and writing my own words.

So not always quicker.

DelightfullyDotty · 10/11/2023 19:57

PeaceLilyCactus · 29/04/2023 22:23

The gap between the poor and super rich will continue to get greater and greater until the poor are all battling for the little resources available to us. I work for a bank and they’ve already brought in AI so when you message them online, it’s a robot who initially answers the web chat, without the customers realising they are talking to a robot. It’s just the start. I think the channel 4 drama Humans raised some really important theories that will probably come into being.

I tried to book a hotel and an AI person answered the phone in the style of a human. It freaked me out so much that I ended the call and booked an Airbnb instead. I think it could be really confusing for an older person and it surely can’t be good for business?

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