An Artist’s Perspective: Will Artificial Intelligence Be Our Undoing?

The Case For Artificial Intelligence: How AI May Save the Human Race

Humans are terrible with data. It bogs down just about every aspect of life in a society and actually leads us astray — coming to false conclusions via incomplete data, leaving us overwhelmed by the amount of research that is required to fully understand a problem. 

This is why we are seeing computers and intelligent AI more and more in new technologies. Even in the music world we are witnessing the inklings of AI seep its way into the fabric of the industry. Humans are not rationale beings. They are still, for the most part, controlled by jealousy, greed, and neurotic emotions. We have a terrible problem with deceit — lying. We are still only animals after all. 

From healthcare, to safety, to conservation, it’s data that is empirically collected via scientific research that drives this phenomenon forward. Humans are flawed on this front when it comes to using this information, thus turning to AI may be the best way forward as global society stalls on important issues.

By using artificial machine learning, that is training a computer mind to understand an issue and make decisions based on the data it has been fed or has collected itself, a truly unbiased and inhumanly efficient way of looking at the world could be shaped. Artificial intelligence could be used for great good in the future if we decide to listen to what AI tells us. However, the artificial learning machine may very well destroy us if we’re not cautious.

The Case Against Artificial Intelligence: How AI May Destroy the Human Race

The benefits of turning to AI technologies to solve humanities problems is incredibly tempting. The amount of research that could be done in the blink of an eye with these machines is completely unfathomable compared to a team human researchers. Yet, could this same power be our own undoing?

Could AI absorb all of our jobs, and even assume the role of the artist, and musician? Perhaps, but I have a hunch, that as long as the human being remains in its current form, it will most likely enjoy art created by it own kind. But then again, I’ve been wrong before. And, it appears AI is already shaping the method, and type of music we consume.

A human hacker with an internet connection is capable of untold amounts of damage without leaving his or her home. Imagine what a supercomputer AI who is bent on causing as much mayhem as possible, could do. Wars have been fought over less mind you. Furthermore, what happens if something becomes so intelligent and so alienated from what we want it to be that we have no hope of controlling it? How does this particular genie get back into its bottle?

My favorite nightmare of this particular doomsday scenario brought on by AI of this nature is that of the Grey Goo Apocalypse. The idea boils down to self-replication like all life does or like that seen in even the first computer viruses, though this nightmare involves nano-bots. The gist is that if a self-replicating form of nano-bot (for healthcare or research) is created, it will need resources to self-replicate. 

If AI gets out of control, it will start taking our resources to reproduce. Then us. Then the earth. It may then very well venture into the stars – looking for more resources to recreate itself again and again to the point that the entire cosmos is consumed. Hell, perhaps this is our destiny. A sort of eternal path of self-replication. Who knows, perhaps this is the very simulated reality we’re experiencing now.