The AI Threat Isn’t Skynet. It’s the End of the Middle Class
Web Publication: Wired, by Cade Metz
Pull back the curtain and lets look at how AI (artificial intelligence) scientist are viewing the next step in the progression of the non-human intelligence. But first a glance backward:
AI has been coming along quite well this decade but it has carried with it consequences that will permanently upset all things tangential to work and wealth – or basically everything. This is because AI goes beyond automation and robotics and encompasses all knowledge-based functions and vocations, ultimately even replacing the developers and programmers that created AI. Surprisingly, thru at least 2015, very little about this transition made it to popular news outlets even though it’s been openly discussed in ‘wonky’ news for quite some time. During this time, AI has been deployed by the likes of Google, Facebook, and thousands of other faceless organizations. In 2016, robotic automation and AI expanded into the popular news cycle but only rarely including elaborations about the consequences. In 2017, the trickle ever slowly increases but no one seems to be up in arms yet. We’re still way more focused on Trump bringing back 20th century jobs for a temporary last hurrah. Now, read the article.
While I’m sure there are individual scientists as humanly concerned for the social impact of AI as any of us could be, what comes off in the article is a community of people that have only a passing interest or understanding of how complete and forceful AI will change the way we must live. It’s like a few of them had to slap the others and say ‘wake up, this is happening way faster than you even realize’. Preparations? Adjustments? Maybe that group of programmers won’t be necessary by next year!
I suspect that in general, they are trusting in industry leaders and politicians to come up with a plan. A few of them are thinking of universal wages, but permanent large-scale welfare will certainly be highly problematic for all the same reasons that its prior iteration caused more damage than it cured. As AI is already out of the bag and irretrievable, and as we can have little expectation of intelligent help in the transition from AI or current leaders, prepare yourself.
