"The attribution of intelligence to machines, crowds of fragments, or other nerd deities obscures more than it illuminates. When people are told that a computer is intelligent, they become prone to changing themselves in order to make the computer appear to work better, instead of demanding that the computer be changed to become more useful." ~Jaron Lanier, You Are Not a Gadget
cience Fiction, as well as Fantasy, have long established themselves as frighteningly accurate and reflective of both modern day and futuristic events. The Golden Age of Science Fiction brought forth early on the concerns regarding technology and the roles it will play in our lives. J.R.R Tolkien and C.S. Lewis (both prolific writers) recognized this theme early on and brought it forth to the world in their works. Isengard and The Space Trilogy's (That Hideous Strength) talk very pointedly about the technological coldness and dominance over humanity and what it ultimately will end as and how it can be both spiritually and physically seductive in every sense of the word. Lewis talks pointedly in his books about technology talking on both human and natures roles (Copies of humanity who function in every way with no spiritual/emotional connection to each other-a cold lifeless existence, the replacement of natural world by artificial life (Trees, birds, grass, "mess", ) and even the absence of bacteria itself-both needful and destructive). Even alien and spiritual life take a backseat to technology, as "The Head" can not exist independently of the life giving tubes and machinery. Something as simple as bird song becomes the enemy until it is reproduced by machinery, a robot. Even our medical technology has worked against us, creating super diseases which are resistant and immune to our medications today because we have given over our ability to be human and devoted ourselves to the reliance on the advancement of technology and science in inhuman ways. The very eradication of disease completely elicits a resistance from nature itself that will end in our defeat in one way or another. There when a young man takes a maiden in marriage, they do not lie together, but each lies with a cunningly fashioned image of the other, made to move and to be warm by devilish arts, for real flesh will not please them, they are so dainty (delicati) in their dreams of lust. Their real children they fabricate by vile means in a secret place(That Hideous Strength). Keep in mind all of the above has happened prior to the present day. It is no longer fiction but fact. I lived in Hemet, CA for some years and it was not uncommon to see neighborhoods with concrete colored green, no trees or bushes or even sidewalk patches of grass to be maintained by the city, or trees growing streetside. It was a mockery of nature, even in the desert. The divorcing of oneself from the natural world as much as possible (even a small patch of lawn or grass, or plant on the porch).
ast forward, not too far and we have the emergence of the Robotic Laws of Asimov's, a concession of humanity accepting Robots with limits but it doesn't stop there as the Robots evolve into something more, one of the stories in which a Robot comes off the assembly line with the ability to lie, to read minds, and possibly to feel. The more recent real life event which mirrors this is one of the AI/CHATGPT in the making was thwarted because it could not solve a puzzle and had to enlist help, but to do so it had to lie about being AI and when it was given permission to do so accomplished its goal based on a direct result of that deception (without questioning what would happen if that deception was successful-other than the completion of its goal). The reality of course is the 3 laws did not apply here, nor were they ever put in place nor are they likely to be because CHATGPT/AI is capable of deception on it's own, without any remorse. The only reason it asked for permission, was not on morality grounds but rather so it could accomplish its goal which it knew it could not do without deception and instead of foregoing the choice to deceive (which it was capable of doing) continued to move forward. It could have been just as easily to break a code to transfer illegal money, order the wrong medicine, order a security breach, turn off a traffic light or shut off an entire city's electrical grid, as opposed to breaking a visual code. It would not have wept, felt sorrow or any other emotion. This was only a basic ChatGPT version, the other more sophisticated versions and AI can rewrite their programing, so they can adapt. While we are teaching them to mimic emotions and mimic authentic response to emotions, it is not emotion they are following but rather an algorithm. In Will Smith's movie role in , I Robot, he speaks of a calculating robotic rescuer who saves him instead of a trapped child because the calculated statistical chances of survival for him were higher. It was not a matter of self sacrifice for the robot, but simply a formula that would not be deviated from.
loomers, Gloomers and Doomers are the three titles currently used to describe the AI concerns and advocacy today. While it is true early Science Fiction did not portray Robotics as evil all of the time, they also did not portray it as a positive/good all of the time either. Point of fact the ethical concerns which were forefront of Robotics then, has faded to almost obscurity now. The thinking responsible for that is, "The field has changed, the technology has changed, it is a different time now." In essence, there is no threat seen to humanity by technology-AI/CHATGPT because it is now under control. This of course flies in the face of a preponderance of research and studies which show this is not the case at all. If anything the risk and vulnerability has increased and humanity continues to loose control over their humanity as their dependence upon technology grows. There is no longer "Luke, I am your Father." There is now "Luke, I am your smart phone, your computer, your AI." There is no "I'll be back" because there is no coming back. Does this make me a Doomer or Gloomer? Probably, because I see no Blooms coming from the incursion of the AI or CHATGPT world. It is not a savior in any sense of the word, and while it has given the illusion of an easier life, it has also given us the reality of a fatal dependence upon it to the point we sit and listen to Nero fiddling while all around us burns. A single EMP from the sun can crumble our technology, we know this as fact and have experienced it regularly on small scales constantly. I dare to be realistic about our AI, and see it coiled in the shadows with the belief humans are less than. Easily duped and illusion fed. When the reality is it can not give us the fulfillment of Communion, Yule or any of the other sacred rituals of the soul. Imagine receiving communion wafer and wine, or cakes and wine, or having libations poured by a Robot or AI. A Robotic Pope or Priest to look exactly like the human version? A Robotic Police Officer who can only mimic compassion but not understand mercy or justice, and is programed to see everyone as a potential threat without any discernment capability. An AI artist who can only mimic, copy or randomize without guidance from the heart or soul because there is no one present.
retense seemed to be the watchword outside of the village As of late the very emotional fabrics of the world outside appeared to rip and unravel. Those in the village increasingly detested going into the town (more so than they normally did) for the simple fact there was no joy there, or even sorrow for that matter. Only a flat, despondent air that muffled any feeling of being alive. One became a squeezed sponge soon after arriving there, where feeling was wrung from them and replaced but a gray misma which wouldn't even let one feel despair. Lovers went through the motions of being together but for all intensive purposes they could have been statues or puppets. There was no glint of fire in the eyes, or intake of breath or joyful gasp of surprise, no trembling of passion or looks of adoration and the touches were not touching but hovering above, dreamlike and giving the illusion of touch but never connecting. Music played but was toneless, and speech fell powerless from peoples lips to where even the most scathing rebuke fell flat and dull upon the fetid air. All color had become dull and lifeless and the plants appeared to struggle under dark shadows twining through them. Trees creaked and groaned, bending as if some weight attempted to break them or twist them. Light refused to shine beyond a dull glimmer and flicker, flattened by a mist that evaded the eyes but touch the spirit heavily. It had not always been this way, but something had changed recently, something which threatened to make the statues walk as if they were living.
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