I mentioned Monday that the internet algorithms sent me to an evening with Ray Bradbury. Even the dumbest artificial intelligence is going to figure out pretty quickly that sending something with old Ray in it from time to time is going to keep me happy. I’ve made no secret of my love for Bradbury’s mind and writing.
You who are fearful of AI, you do know that the notorious social media algorithms are earlier forms of artificial intelligence, right? Someone taught a machine/computer to look through what I have gravitated toward online and make an educated guess what I might want to explore next. AI is just the latest in a long line of tools dating back to the lever or the wheel.
Each new discovery to the dawn of time has been used to move us forward, but the evil in our DNA has caused some of us to find ways to weaponize just about every discovery. On one shoulder an angel says, “Eureka! We can save the world with this!” while the devil on the other shoulder says, “By Jove! We can use this to kill other humans in a heretofore unimaginable way!” — from the ax we crafted to cut down trees for shelter all the way to splitting the atom to power our homes and move large vehicles.
Those who say AI is just the latest tool to make our lives easier are absolutely correct. Those who say it has the potential for heretofore unimaginable evil are also correct.
The trick will be to recognize the evil and nip it in the proverbial bud. But to ban AI out off fear it will be misused is to ignore its potential for good when used properly.
Any tool can grow a lush garden or destroy it. Heroin and fentanyl began their careers as medicine. Eternal vigilance against evil is one of those prices we pay for freedom — and freedom is our greatest tool for good.
