The Rise Of Artificial Intelligence
Part 1: Humanity's Choice
Human activity over the last 2,500 years demonstrates a growing emphasis on materialism, increasingly overshadowing the awe and wonder of our world and existence. Even when philosophy and the arts flourish, the most powerful kingdoms and countries expand and plunder with unbounded materialism and self-righteousness. Ensuing hostility has been fueled by ignorant and selfish greed, justified by politics that feign wisdom without foundation.
Historical exceptions to this pattern, where countries were founded on higher ideals, have been subverted into the more dominant trend of prioritizing fortune and physical dominance. The twisted logic of extreme nationalism is severely warped; powerful political interests are able to pour the wealth of their populations into military expenditures and apply warfare as a means of diplomacy.
The dysfunctional state of humanity is no secret, although most feel helpless to change the currents and tides of outrageous behavior. Aggressive forces surrounding us relentlessly shape our opinions and lives by determining the things we need — insisting on how to procure them.
Enemies are defined and targeted; we blindly obey conventions, allowing aggression and forever wars.
The reasonable basics for a happy existence are obscured by a barrage of twisted logic and imminent threats. Imaginary boundaries enforced by economic interests determine our identity. Blame is projected on adversaries, and soldiers are sacrificed or mutilated in the name of patriotism. This same insane superstructure generates precisely guided missiles and pilotless drones, bringing death and destruction from all directions in the oft-abused name of defense.
In this vacuum of rationality, the rise of so-called Artificial Intelligence reveals a lack of sound existential directives. Rather than spiritual knowledge, the blessings of experience, or universal ethical principles guiding the course of history, computers and programs with the highest levels of complexity are given license to lead us into the future.
Their unbounded, unrestrained growth is symptomatic of the disastrous consequences of an entrenched belief that existence is definable by what can be calculated and expressed digitally. Information guiding the development of computation purports to be objective, yet there is rarely debate on what the priorities should be relative to the problems we face.
Whether impacted and directed by the gargantuan servers in the cloud or by our own electronic devices, this overt pattern of denying all other aspects of existence becomes more apparent as our entanglement with technology increases.
The use of the most advanced computers is far from neutral, and they have penetrated most systems. Their data is generated and infused with the same bias and ignorance that has driven the interactions of a planet steeped in divisive, hostile activity with minimal creative direction.
The primary incentive for the development of technology has never been about peace or the improvement of life. High-tech advancements were initiated with military priorities and funding. As computerization makes a greater impact, the unfolding degradation becomes more apparent.
The disaster of this catastrophic materialistic framing of reality is now plainly before us, manifesting dramatically in the transition to AI-infused information, AI-driven arts and sciences, and AI drone and robotic warfare.
A stark underlying disorder is encapsulated with the single greatest fear about what AI might engender: an out-of-control super-computer capable of turning against mankind.
This self-destructive projection is transparent.
An unleashed, all-powerful computer, armed with humanity’s deluded perspective, is as dangerous as any nuclear weapon. This dreaded outcome has been engendered unconsciously by those who build the structures and applications, believing their role is to further a distorted concept of progress. Just as atomic weapons can only temporarily act as a deterrent, AI in its current form can only cement the downfall of civilization.
AI’s rise represents the ultimate domination over the subtleties of cognition, the rejection of common sense, the belittlement of intuition, and the repression of romanticism.
The transparent flaw in defining reality by mathematical evaluation has become accepted and dominant. This has manifested in a deluded planet that has lost its course in the pursuit of a creative prime directive.
The development and use of Artificial Intelligence for what is truly important is the only course change that will save us. The challenge of ensuring adequate, healthy food and comfortable, nurturing shelter for everyone on the planet will be accomplished if the energy and wealth applied to hostility were eliminated.
Humanity’s transcendence can not be founded on technology alone.
Read an AI’s response to this article in Part 2: The Rise Of Artificial Intelligence
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In line with the author’s theme, I coined a phrase a few years ago that I use quite regularly anytime the conversation of AI arises: we humans have completely outdone ourselves.
You know where the OFF switch and battery pack is. And EMPs will do in the rest. Humanity will "revert" to empirical existence, either by choice or by force.