Everything can be used for good or ill. Movies like The Terminator and AI Artififial Intelligience, while fictional,, stoke fears of AI in us consciously or unconsciously.
I wish we could get back to earlier ways we received news but that Genie is way out of the bottle. I think that is why AI can be scary. Corrupt bad actors can misuse it to control others as you have pointed out.
I would like to learn more about the positive implications for climate and medical applications. Like computers the questions are complex, but we still can choose what we can accept. I also want to find out about AI as companions. We have loneliness as an epidemic. Even artificial relationships could be important for persons overall health and attachment issues
I don't know the answer but only know that being informed of good and bad aspects is a good place to start.
As we know, AI is growing exponentially and becoming more embedded into our world. It can be used for both positive or negative purposes. New laws have to be put into effect. Europe is ahead of us on this. Also, I believe that 'ethical algorithms' must be embedded into its software. My fear is that, once AI becomes so sophisticated that it can in effect 'program itself', we will have lost control. If mere 'coldhearted efficiency' is it's goal, that won't end well for humanity. Without the values of compassion, altruism & mercy which have historically defined us as humans (often expressed through organized religion) becoming an integral part of AI's underpinnings, we may be facing major existential problems. But that is probably decades away. Ray Kurzweil (MIT educated Inventor, Visionary & Futurist, now a Director of Engineering/Principal Researcher at Google) has predicted what he calls 'the Singularity' - that point in time when machine intelligence merges with human intelligence and he predicts the year to be approx. 2045. His books are fascinating reading and he has a high prediction success rate. He is actually optimistic about the future despite this. If you aren't familiar with Ray Kurzweil, you must read his books. Fascinating reading from a brilliant and visionary mind.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/ray-kurzweil-google-s-prophet-of-2259595/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil
https://www.kurzweiltech.com/aboutray.html
I think, as human beings, we can collectively choose to put the pause on what a program, coded by human beings, can do. Nothing is written in stone.
@kathleen I have some errands to run this morning, but I will try to put together some (reasonably coherent 😂) thoughts and post a bit later. However, in order not to derail this thread about AI, I will answer in the SCOTUS thread.
@tgraf66 You often have a thoughtful response to these issues, and I appreciate your measured thoughts about the legal and political dynamics. I'm curious about your assessment on where things are stuck or will just take more time. I've started a new thread if you want to respond there, or you can start your own under SCOTUS.
@tybin No, I think they won't move forward until 1) SCOTUS rules on immunity due to the manufactured ambiguity introduced by the case, and 2) after he loses the election. Keep in mind that he knows that if he loses the election, he's toast in both cases. He's literally fighting for his own freedom and nothing else.