Man-made intelligence: A beneficial tool or a harbinger of chaos?

BY STEVEN KASZAB

“Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” (M.L. King Jr)

I had just received a phone call from a young woman representing a charity that helps young children. I listened politely to her banter, and made a small, pledged donation. Then I realized this was not a young woman, but A.I. technology presenting itself as a person. Strangely I hung up. This apparently happens a great deal. Charities, governments, private businesses using robots and programs that respond to the listeners language, responses too. I received such a call from a politician not too long ago, representing himself as the politician, responding to my many questions in real time. I thought it was a one off, something odd but not commonly used. Big mistake on my part.

Artificial Intelligence is a super cheap created program that can be used for promotions, over and over again. The agencies using it do not have to employ someone to do that job, except perhaps the collector of donations and such. I find this technology to be dehumanizing, degrading of our humanity and simply in bad taste. Imagine a voice of an elderly lady calling a senior citizen to pass on information, request information or donations. The senior thinks they are talking to a like-minded person, not a machine. Those who employ this technology are pulling the shades over these unsuspecting people. That is dishonest.

A friend of mine, a self-proclaimed harmless pervert, told me of programs and businesses that provide services based on and using A.I. Through the use of voice activated sensors, illusions, audio technology and even holograms clients participate in sexual encounters and experiences. Costly but apparently satisfying.

This moves away from human contact and personal relationships, provides convenience, some form of privacy and high profit margins. Savings to governmental and private agencies have allowed this technology to invade our lives in so many ways. A.I. camera’s (CC.TV), audio robotics invade our privacy; actual A.I. controlled police dogs and officers and soldiers are designed to serve and protect the community. Self-driving vehicles, trains and boats present the private sector with the opportunity to release many unneeded employees, saving them revenue.

I went to a college and attended a conference where several presenters were robots, powered by A.I. lecturing us, and also taking questions professionally. A question arises, one in which workers, managers, teachers and other professions must ask themselves how far will A.I. applications go, and will it threaten their livelihoods, their future employment? Will seniors want, or allow robots and audio A.I. applications to care for them instead of flesh and blood assistants?  The computer has become the babysitting tool of the past generation, and those young people will probably have no difficulty accepting A.I. within their young lives.

The entertainment business shows us just how far A.I. and its proponents will go to acquire profit over their neighbor. Actors and writers go on strike, yes for more money, but primarily to protect their image and profession. We could watch a movie and enjoy it, while not realizing that the audio and images of “actors” have been digitally created by A.I. So, what is the value of your person, image, thoughts, very being? Authorities can find you, follow you and investigate you all using A.I. You use credit, use computers, cell phones or simply walk about where cameras are. Your very person and identity can be scrutinized, viewed and taken from you in a blink of an eye.

Our economy has been under attack for decades by ever advancing A.I. hackers, criminals who have identified the power of A.I. Hospitals, schools, governments, news media, corporations are held for ransom using A.I. tools and strategies. Warfare and its tools have become technologically advanced A.I. toys of advantage. Taking someone’s life using such technology seems crass and dehumanizing, but efficient. Someday A.I. centered telephone booths like you see on the show Futurama will allow distressed people to enter, be interviewed by an A.I. centered therapist who will immediately allow the person to euthanize themselves. Horrible is not, but definitely viable. A.I. tools allow students to get their papers written by robots. The stupefying of our youth and education system will follow.

Is artificial intelligence anti-human? In the western world A.I. can and will push many out of their jobs, some to better ones, training and re training. The future can be bright depending upon your goals and attitude. The upper classes initiate and benefit from this technology, and the rest of us follow or are swept away.

The government and public are full of intelligent people with doubt, uncertain if they should advance A.I. technology, while the stupid, lazy and greedy people of this world are full of confidence, ready to advance into a brave new world. Remember, silence is the best response of a fool. Speak up, investigate and get engaged.