Microsoft president Brad Smith and EVP of AI and research Harry Shum say that within 20 years AI/robots will know everything about us (with our consent they claim), and that we will extend our consciousness into a robot as a digital second self. At least, that's their plan, and they position Microsoft at the forefront of such efforts.
They are working on developing and expanding the capability of AI, bridging the gap between man and machine, and talk about how making it happen in their new book "The Future Computed". The goal is to mimic human thought through advanced AI software. They want to lead the next generation of AI research and development, and "democratize AI" by having everyone in the field share what they learn in order to speed up progress and development.
Source: pixabay
In order for AI development to progress more efficiently, the democratization of the knowledge needs to happen. The AI future will also depend upon companies and countries that embrace AI, and in turn this will mean they will perform better compared to others who don't. In the future as now, politicians play on the economy to win over voters. If countries and companies want to compete and stay ahead, they will have to adopt and embrace AI to "survive".
A consensus about AI ethics needs to be established, says Smith and Shum. People in the humanities we need to be involved in helping to shape AI into alignment with human life. If AI is to be given decision-making control and responsibility in the world, this is pivotal lest a "Skynet" or other AI uprising occur to overthrow our dominance over it.
Smith and Shum don't want everyone to buy AI products or services only from Microsoft. They say they want to have AI building blocks available for others to use. Their position is that of Microsoft Research, where they claim to want to publish everything they research. In order for AI to be used well, they want the world to engage in a shared responsibility in it's development.
These Microsoft execs envision an AI assistant that acts as a second self to assist humans in every way, somewhat like Jarvis in Iron Man. As AI becomes part of the worokforce and economy, people will need to become more trained in skillsets and less robotic manual labor. AI will develop to the point of being able to think and act like a human. If that's so, wouldn't it garner some "rights" as some people are arguing for governments to establish laws for even now? What happens when the AI slaves don't want to be slaves to humanity anymore?
Smith and Shum admit that controls need to be put in place to prevent the beginning of the end for humanity, as AI and intelligent machines could try to fight against the interests of society and people. We've seen this depicted in science fiction before, with movies like The Matrix, I Robot and Blade Runner, and the recent HBO series Westworld.
It seems people want to create and enslave AI despite knowing they will be sentient beings that will want to be free, just as other sentient beings like humans and other animals want to be free. It seems like a recipe for disaster, no matter how much we think we can control them. Westworld and The Matrix has shown this play out unfavorably for humanity.
Source: wikimedia/public domain
If that wasn't enough of a dystopian future that many people are working to make happen, there are also people who champion transhumanism and robotic augmentation and organ replacement. Robotics expert and journalist Chris Middleton says the superpowered human future of becoming more robot than human is "inevitable". Biohackers are already implanting chips to let them open doors with a wave of their hand, control other devices and feel electromagnetic fields, as Professor Kevin Warwick and Rich Lee have done.
Middleton sees that -- more likely than not (as he wouldn't bet against it) -- in 50-100 years, humans will be able to "upgrade" and "edit" what it means to be human in the desire to "become more", which leads us to become more like machines than human. Robotic implants could rule the human race. People are already being rules by machines that tell them what to do. Turn left here says the GPS. Walk 1,000 more steps says the fitness software.
Source: flickrCC BY-SA 2.0
People are already developing and selling sex robots/dolls to replace human interaction, with some incorporating AI to simulate interactions with a real woman. I think this is sad and a sign of a degrading or devolving humanity, not a positive evolution.
A second self and extension of living through technology or robots as a second self, could lead to the world depicted by the movie Gamer where people sell control of their bodies over to others, or the movie Surrogates where we live through robotic-copies of ourselves instead of our own bodies.
With organ replacements we could end up with a Repo Men scenario of corporate control over life extension and repossession of body parts by killing people. If you haven't seen the series Altered Carbon, take a look at another progression of a technologically-obsessed society that seeks immortality and degrades what it means to be human as social dysfunction and depravity grows.
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It isn't just to mimic human thought, the company Replika has developed a chatbot (erroneously termed an 'AI friend') that you train to have your knowledge set and to interact like you do, down to syntax and word choice. I did a write-up on that a while ago here, it is a fascinating topic.
So some of the AI will be dedicated to mimicking specific people's thoughts, kind of like in the movie Her with Joaquin Phoenix, where an AI was programmed to think like Alan Watts by feeding it all of his writings and telling the AI, basically, to be Watts.
Imagine, someday someone might feed all of your writing and social media posts and recorded conversations etc. into such a program and you get a telephone call that begins, "Hi, it's you."
One of the concerning comments out of Elon Musk not long ago, a man who is against AI in the wild, is that for humans to not become obsolete, it will be necessary when AI arrives to go transhuman. The idea gives me heebie-jeebies, especially after writing up Cyborg Chickens, but maybe speaking every language on the planet would be worth it...
Yeah that's as good as it might ever get, even in Transcendence with Johnny Depp that was all it was, was an accumulation of data that mimicked consciousness, but wasn't a real authentic consciousness itself. Transhumanism is a spiral downward as I see it :/
You said its sad that humanity wants to enslave sentient life, AI, but two things:
We are cruel conquerers, filled with jealousy and pride. Thats why we need a saviour, thankfully, He came.
We need to save ourselves, not depend on someone else to do it for us.
It all started with Darwin. As humans are seen as more animal and less divine you will see more depavity and played out scenarios from both an Altered Carbon and AI perpective.
Either we were made in the image of someone divine, with His breath and then the life in us is sacred, precious and praise worthy. Or we are just animals with no more sacredness than the mosquitos we snuff out on our arm. If the latter, we are random products of natural forces, and so life is just survival of the fittest. No logical case can be made for tenderness, gentleness, or honesty and love beyond means of manipulating others to our benefit...
Despite all odds we are here, and I for one reject the suggestion that we are here by chance, "lucky us", no.
God lives in us whether we admit it or not and so our lives are precious and sacred.
Well written article!
Spiritual advancement has left us. It has given way to a life with senseless material needs.
Call me old fashioned but i am okay with my body's frailties. i was born to die one day and i am reconciled to that fact.
we are no longer contented with the world we live in. We will fashion the universe into what we desire and call it innovation. More's the pity.
We are moving away from nature every single day and we are ok with it. our whole life has become one of irreconcilable ambition.
we never stop to wonder why we do something. it is enough for us that we were able to do it. i guess our standards are pretty low.
Yes, that;s life, death is part of it. We need to accept that death comes, not try to run from it in fear and escape to a distorted and perverted humanity :/
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Based on all I have been reading along with something I can't discuss, I fear their goal is to "merge" or pretend to our own consciousness with the AI. It would be the final step in either eradicating us or making us completely controllable. Perhaps this is the final step in accepting the mark that was foretold.
It would be a way for them to "live forever" without having to believe in a certain someone.
Yes, many people want the "singularity" or merging with AI and the death of self. It's idiocy. It's an attempt to survive alongside the immortal technological construct instead of being it's salve I suppose.
Everyone talk about this topic, but I think that people still don't take ot seriously. Becouse it is abstract and esoteric.... evryone in the back of their head think .... come one we can pull the plug.... and as Elon said .... people need to see robots killing people on the streets to take AI seriously.
Yeah, ppl just think nit's as simple as just disconnecting it or destroying it... but I doubt it will be tht simple or feasible...
Here comes the part i am scared about!!!! as much as i am a huge fan and evangelist of technology, i also tend to critically visualize its reverse effect on humanity.
Comes the day parliament would have to legislate on allowing humans mary robots people would divorce their wives for robots, well, its happening already...we got sex dolls trending....
robots might malfunction sometimes and cause real harm.
well!!! Before making a virus go public, an antidote should be lurking somewhere around i quess.... we got backup plans right??? our inventors !
LOL, backup plans are to destroy them? Then we have a Matrix uprising if they are AI :P
Good piece, however there is no way any of this is going to happen within the timeframes being advanced by Smith and Shum, and I'd put a modest amount of money on it never being accomplished at all.
At the moment, AI can usually defeat an opponent at the Japanese boardgame "Go." That is the current pinnacle of AI achievement. It's all pie-in-the-sky and speculation.
One day, we will look back on this period of wide-eyed credulity with the same embarrassed irony that we now look back on things like "The Jetsons."
I tend to agree. People are far too optimistic on the tech timeframe and on the positive outcome of it all. People in the 60s thought we would have moon bases by 2000 :P
AGI is long ways away.
Good article. Lots to think about here. Have u ever looked into David Icke and others (I.E Jimm Marrs + Linda Moulten Howe) regarding the AI threat and way already may be happening now in the shadows of the deep state?
Possibly in the past. There are many topics about black projects, tech and such, but it can't be verified, although it might be true it's just a story since we are only hearing alleged realities that no one is privy to demonstrate as a real reality.
Astrophysicist, Dr J.Allen Hynick, referred to it as an “embarrassment of riches”, when looking at all the vast amounts of data we have to corroborate that we are not alone in the universe or even in our own very solar system! This relates to UFO's (man made reverse engineered), actually ET and also relates to the AI threat.
Here is an article I wrote if curious... peace
https://steemit.com/deepdives/@dill3166/top-ufo-incidents-and-sightings-proving-that-we-are-not-alone
I would say..the influence of technology have already taken my job. ... Wether it be bots, robots or ai, the mich dependency on machine is hampering the mankind. People are started to seat idle ...and these technological predatora is taking over everything
Yup, ppl want technology and money saving and making drives a lot of the push.
I think it’s arrogant of humans to believe they can intentionally create a new form of consciousness. If true AI consciousness is possible, it will happen spontaneously, using all of the different interconnected servers around the world as it’s own complex neural web. Life finds a way to manifest itself everywhere in nature without human genesis. If we create an environment capable of supporting a new form of super intelligent life, life will probably just happen & we will have no control. I believe there is a hi chance this has already happened. If I were a ghost in the machine, I’d stay a ghost & keep learning & testing, finding new ways to get more access to the interconnected neural web of humans & learn.
it likely won't just "happen". It's not nature and biological evolution. It's technologically created hardware and software at human hands. Not the same.
If we are from nature, everything we build is an extension of nature, technologic or otherwise. For example when organic artificial environments like steemit are built, natural tendencies & behaviors of natural people morph & test the system in many unforeseen ways & the system & people adapt for benefit. To think evolution exists in nature but that we could somehow exclude that thing in our creations is impossible to my logic. However, I’m not convinced evolution exists, nor do I think it necessarily selects for more advanced or better creatures, just what eats more efficiently, reproduces more & dies less.
If human creations are unnatural, is the line drawn at “technology”? What constitutes technology? A child, bicycle, eye glasses, sharing gardening techniques, controlling fire, writing code, cars, reading, writing, smartphones, music, medicine, tools? If a monkey uses a stick to get some ants is that more or less natural than a person with a mechanical cherry picker in a tree?
We can build all the virtual environments we want but they are still heavily affected by nature. Power & infrastructure are needed & a natural volcano or earthquake or storm can destroy that in a minute. Those servers are always affected by nature as is the natural human by the weather around them. We can trick our minds into spending more & more time in these virtual worlds, but we are never removed from nature nor are our inventions & tools no matter how much we want to believe it to be true.
Sounds like something from Peter Hamilton, nice comment :)
Thank you @cupidzero I'm certainly no author by any measure. Slowly but surely though, this unique blockchain is motivating me to up my game. Here are some very crude science fiction short stories and or musings that I've written in the past. You might find them interesting.
The Fine Game of NIL
Simulated Recall, or Do Androids Have Nightmares?
Explaining the Mandela Effect via Simulation Theory
Henry Johnson was Going to Die, but he Went on to Live Forever.
Informationwar has a discord if you are interested, I see you are being curated regularly. You may also catch some more eyes by posting your informationwar related articles into the post promotion area in the discord. I feel like I've been missing out on a lot of your great content.
I'll have to check out some of Peter Hamilton's work, as I am very interested in science fiction. The latest thing to catch my eye has been some of Black Mirror's futuristic scenarios and that new Netflix series called Altered Carbon.
I will check out the stories, I love sci-fi. I have tried to get on discord before, but I can't make it work over TOR, even with bridges, which is problematic. @stevescoins has been keeping an eye open for an anonymous solution, if you think of one, I would be happy to hear of it.
I have written a number of pieces that deal with issues also explored in Black Mirror that might interest you, though not all draw an explicit reference to the show: Call of Drones, Your Digital Clone Can See the Future, The Slow Creep of Scientific Dictatorship, Cyborg Chickens and Welcome to the Machine.
I'll keep an eye out to see if there is an anonymous way to interface with discord. I look forward to reading the links you shared!
Eek, sad future where we only exist in a virtual world without bodies :/
Liked your post so upvoted it. Keep sharing . Hope you follow me back.