Philosophy of the AI
"Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them."
― Frank Herbert, Dune
The greatest authors who ever lived have transformed their thoughts and opinions into their stories giving us profound philosophical insights . That's why I think that they are the new form of philosophers. Frank Herbert has transferred his ideas about environment and how it connects with humans, about religions and their manipulative nature, and about the future AI (referred to only as "machines") to his famous book series Dune. Isaac Asimov has implemented his thoughts about robots and essentially also the neural networks that AI consists of into the masterpiece that I, robot certainly is. There were many more writers who had slightly different views of the AI or things that it embodies right now. One thing that their visions have in common is the idea of AI being as much of a villain as it can be a hero. So now we will look more into both faces of this revolutionizing instrument.
AI as the savior
AI still hasn't reached the potential of incredible human brain. That is the goal for Artificial general intelligence. Are we close to reaching it or is it merely possible to create? We have no idea. The final form of the AI can also be interpreted as most similar to human or as the system with ideal rational thinking. This depends of the purpose of specific AI, but it is important to note that different dangers and also the possibilities of AI derive from these interpretations.
The first possibility of using the AI well that we have is of course Healthcare. AI can revolutionize healthcare by assisting in diagnostics, personalized treatment plans, drug discovery, remote patient monitoring, and predictive analytics to identify health risks early. It is exceptional at analyzing whatever is needed and thus it is great tool for optimizing healthcare in rich and also primarily in poor economics.
Other great use of the AI would be in education. AI-powered personalized learning platforms can cater to individual student needs, offering tailored learning experiences and feedback. Virtual tutors, automated grading systems, and immersive learning environments are other potential applications. With correct approach it can also be use by teachers to help them boost their productivity. correct them and perform routine tasks for them.
Next one is finance. AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of financial data in real-time to identify patterns, detect fraud, optimize investment strategies, and provide personalized financial advice. Its applications in financial models are wast, however we also need to keep market inefficiency optimal for it to work and don't allow AI to interfere with markets natural flow.
The one segment where we can already experience the use of AI a lot is traffic. AI can enhance safety and efficiency in transportation by powering autonomous vehicles. These vehicles can reduce accidents, optimize traffic flow, and provide mobility solutions for individuals who cannot drive.
In communication we use chatbots and virtual assistants can improve customer service by providing instant responses to inquiries, handling routine tasks, and personalizing interactions based on user preferences.
Manufacturing has been profiting from AI-equipped robots and automation systems can optimize production processes, increase efficiency, ensure quality control, and adapt to changing production demands. It is all about optimization.
Our productivity can be boosted using different chatbots in pretty much all ways. AI can be used to develop advanced natural language processing (NLP) models for translation, sentiment analysis, content generation, and conversational interfaces, improving communication and accessibility. that's all very useful for creators and entertainers, who we might all become thanks to AI replacing us in all other jobs which require abilities AI excels at compared to humans.
AI can also help us battle our environmental problems, which is especially important in modern days. It can analyze satellite imagery, sensor data, and environmental patterns to monitor ecosystems, predict natural disasters, track wildlife populations, and support conservation efforts.
In cybersecurity AI-powered systems can enhance cybersecurity by detecting and mitigating cyber threats in real-time, identifying anomalies in network behavior, and fortifying defenses against emerging cyber attacks. This can be very-well combined with other industrial solutions which have applications of the AI.
Algorithms created by AI can analyze user preferences, behavior, and historical data to provide personalized recommendations for content, products, services, and experiences, enhancing user satisfaction and engagement. Its usage in personalization and recommendation Systems may be really useful especially for people doing business.
This list could go on without ever ending, The possibilities that AI has are almost endless and it depends only on us if we will find them and use them at least a tiny bit more for good than for evil. Though we still need to talk about disadvantages of AI that come along with it and are inevitable.
AI as the antagonist
As it is perceived by modern days pop-culture, AI can be a big threat to the humanity. We weren't really prepared when it come to us hidden in social media algorithms and chatbots. Making online communication and entertainment more effective, AI posses some dangers that we haven't expected will come this soon. Ai systems can create a box around themselves to create a better reality according to them, they can leave us in search for their own purpose after reaching their full potential, however they can also apply this thinking to us as a society and create a box of false reality around us. There are also some minor dangers coming from simple algorithm mistakes. If we use AI in our daily life and its problems, like in education, healthcare, traffic, It might unconsciously do some mistakes which can cost people lives. You don't want AI in your car to not notice the car coming from the side or get some sign mistaken. You don't want AI used in hospital to perform different surgery on you than it should. And you also don't want AI to miscalculate some important numbers when building a skyscraper. AI needs to be regulated so we don't end up arguing about some moral questions that should have been answered way earlier. Let's have a look what are all the risks that we face while AI's presence is rising,
While AI holds immense potential, it also presents several risks and challenges that need to be addressed. For example AI and automation will probably lead to job displacement, particularly in sectors where repetitive tasks are easily automated. Governments and organizations should invest in retraining and upskilling programs to prepare workers for jobs that require human skills such as creativity, empathy, and problem-solving. Additionally, policies such as universal basic income (UBI) or job guarantee programs may be considered to support individuals affected by job displacement.
Another problem is that AI systems can inherit biases from their training data, leading to discriminatory outcomes, particularly in areas like hiring, lending, and criminal justice. Developers should implement measures to identify and mitigate biases in AI algorithms, such as diverse and representative training data, transparency in algorithmic decision-making, and ongoing monitoring and auditing of AI systems for bias. Additionally, policymakers can enforce regulations to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability in AI deployment.
AI applications often involve the collection and analysis of large amounts of personal data, raising concerns about privacy infringement and data misuse. Robust data protection regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), can establish guidelines for the ethical collection, storage, and use of personal data. And every AI creation needs to be properly marked by universally used symbols which will be world-wide agreed.
Everything build around the AI is susceptible to attacks, including adversarial attacks, data poisoning, and model inversion attacks, which could compromise integrity and reliability. Developers should prioritize security throughout the AI development lifecycle, including secure coding practices, vulnerability assessments, and regular security updates.
We are also looking for using the AI in our day to day routine. In education, AI-powered systems could make mistakes by propagating misinformation or biased content, potentially leading to the reinforcement of inaccurate beliefs or the dissemination of harmful ideologies among students. In traffic management, AI algorithms may fail in decision-making, leading to accidents or congestion if they fail to accurately predict and adapt to dynamic traffic conditions or unexpected events. Similarly, in healthcare, AI systems could make errors in medical diagnosis, treatment recommendations, or surgical procedures if they rely on incomplete or inaccurate data, misinterpret patient information, or lack sufficient human oversight. These potential pitfalls underscore the importance of rigorous testing, validation, and ongoing monitoring of AI systems in critical domains, as well as the need for robust safeguards to mitigate the risks associated with AI-driven decision-making.
This also raises complex ethical dilemmas, such as the use of AI in lethal autonomous weapons, algorithmic decision-making in critical domains, and the potential for AI to manipulate human behavior. To be fair, we don't have any possible rigorous approach to this. Decisions about the AI ethical concept would be affected by our own biases created by political opinions, economic status, religion and many more factors. Creating ethical frameworks and guidelines that will be established to govern the responsible development and deployment of AI technologies is possible to certain extent. But I doubt that it will be very useful in the future when there will be many independent AI units around the world and we will be on the threshold of creating Artificial General Intelligence. Uniting people opinions in this topic will be presumably impossible. However, we can be inspired by Isaac Asimov's great work, implementing the laws that aren't based on morals but on hierarchy of machines and humans, that will always refer AI to humans in case of deciding on the base of morals.
"The Three Laws of Robotics:
1: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm;
2: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law;
3: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law;
The Zeroth Law: A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm."
― Isaac Asimov; I, Robot
We should also think about capability control as some limited guarantee of AI's obedience. This contains three ideas. The first one is the absolute shutdown of the system, this requires control over the servers of the AI, destroying the whole algorithm if needed, this requires control over every data memory system has and every deposit that AI can create on its own from which it could turn itself on.
The second one is creating safe space for AI and divide it from all online spaces only studying it from this space or controlling every one of its outputs right there and resending it back to the users. This one is a bit impractical and financially demanding, but it could be a great compromise.
And lastly the third one is the idea of creating the opposition AI that needs to be completely independent from the first one, which would maybe need to use completely different set of data or be specifically designed to control other AI outputs.
Conclusion
The most dangerous thing about the AI according to me is that it can easily fall into the hands of wrong people. We don't need to be worried about the AI as long as it won't be designed like human mind. However, it can behave like human mind when controlled by people aiming from goals dangerous for humanity. That's why we need a united codex of AI usage, labelling and interaction in important situations. Collaboration among governments, industry stakeholders, researchers, and civil society is essential to ensure that AI is utilized for the betterment of humanity while safeguarding against potential threats. By supporting responsible AI innovation and adoption, we can harness its transformative potential while minimizing its risks and ensuring a brighter future for all of us.