Why do we strive to create artificial intelligence? That is a question I have often asked myself in the past. Is it an inevitable outcome of our hunger for progress? Can we prevent this technological leap from taking place or must we carry out humanity’s final Act in which we become God? The power we have achieved over the last two centuries derives from industry and technology. During the late 18th Century, the beginnings of industrialization begin to upset the population distribution in and around urban areas. The increasing need for factory workers led to a massive increase in the urban population, creating a densely populated urban society built around the factory. The massive influx of workers meant that the factory owner had no obligation whatsoever to care for the needs of the workers. If someone threatened to leave or if they didn’t perform up to standards, it was rather simple for the owner to bring in other workers and treat them equally harsh and pay them just as little as before. This radical change in the way people lived and worked created a shift on a more fundamental level. The act of moving into a montonous, highly regimented, and even toxic environment was undoubtedly unpleasant at first but became tolerable after a generation or two. Even though this environment denied nearly every essential component of an ideal human environment (one that promotes survival and the pursuit of one’s interests), humanity persevered (just as we braved nearly any other hostile environment on Earth). Humanity survived, but at what cost? Depression, isolation, sickness, and pollution all became tolerable for the acquisition of money and power. In such environments the potential of the individual is denied and society behaves like a large assembly line. To live is to work and to work is to live.
For many, human culture is replaced by the ads and propaganda that circulate through the sickly human organism. What of art, dance, and music? For others, these elements are in fact kindled as a way of countering the oppressive uniformity imposed by industrial society. Regardless, many are denied the ability to express their future potential because society is highly oppressive. The tragedy is that it is science and technology, humanity’s greatest achievements, which in the end deny us our humanity. As René Dubos writes in So Human an Animal:
Research institutions, in or outside universities, are equipped physically and intellectually for studying in great detail man as a machine, but they neglect entirely or give a low order of priority to the problems that living man encounters in the course of his daily life.
The prospect that technology will continue to develop while still remaining highly unconcerned with human needs is frightening. This is especially the case with the development of artificial intelligence. We must consider whether or not artificial intelligence will truly enhance our lives. Of course we can theoretically, after years of hard work and research, finally make this leap. At that moment we will have created a new form of life that follows its own rule book, a rule book derived from the logic and generalized algorithms that simulate human responses. This intelligence will be born into the world of humanity as the child of technology and as our reflection in the mirror of perceived idealism. Do we need this? In the end, will it improve people’s lives? Will it make more people safe and happy? If we cannot definitively say “yes”, the risks outweigh any benefit. If we decide to pursue this course of action, we will allow for the creation of something we may not understand. We must consider this now, for this may be one of the greatest choices we will ever have to make as a species.
