You may consider the following a conspiracy theory from someone who has seen too many science fiction movies, but it has been going around in my head for some time now, and I am certainly not the only one who thinks so. Technological progress since the mid-20th century has been brutal. We have managed in less than 50 years to make an abysmal quantum leap about the five thousand years we have of known history (or was it more?).
One of the surprising advances, in addition to the internet and cryptocurrencies, in my opinion, is the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI). In 1950, mathematician Alan Turing asked himself a question, «Can machines think?». Unbeknownst to him, this simple question would revolutionize the world. He was not the first; before him, other scientists had developed models for the creation of a neural network. However, most attempts to further advance the field were discarded, due to many factors (technology, money, etc.).
It was not until 1997 that, for the first time, Deep Blue AI defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov. Then, the machine defeated the man. However, let's say that it is not very surprising since the scenarios of chess moves are finite. That is when you know all the possible moves for each move, undoubtedly, choosing the best route to victory will be a matter of time, not ingenuity.
But to my mind, one of the most revealing events occurred in 2016. The moment when Korean Lee Sedol, the Go super champion, loses against Google DeepMind's AlphaGo system. It was unimaginable that a game as complex as Go would be beaten by AI. Lee Sedol himself was shocked. His mind could not believe it. I watched the filmed documentary of the game.
And while the AlphaGo developers were celebrating the victory, the Korean guy couldn't find words to describe what he felt, it was as if his soul had been ripped out of him. I was in shock. It was then that I realized the danger of AI.
For those who don't know Go, the game Go is an ancient strategy game of Chinese origin, played on a grid board. Two players place stones alternately, seeking to control more territory than the opponent. Its simplicity of rules contrasts with the depth of strategy.
It is important to note that, although it looks like it is very simple to play, it is not. However, playing Go encourages strategic thinking, long-term planning, and decision-making. It improves concentration, patience, and problem-solving. It also promotes creativity and adaptability and is a valuable tool for cognitive development and socialization.
Returning to the subject at hand. In the words of Lee Sedol:
“Although I know that the game of Go will continue to exist just as chess has for all these years, I can't help but feel sad that we will never experience some things in the same way again.
For me, who saw Go as an art form, found it beautiful for its human qualities, loved its mystery for being unsolvable, and admired the commitment and determination of those who turned professional in pursuit of human greatness in a realm previously undefeated by machines, I can't help but feel a sense of loss and sadness.”
We are talking about a person on the level of Tiger Woods, Messi, or LeBron (making myself understood); that is, Go games, were to be played excluding Lee Sedol, because he was on another level, an unattainable level. Do I make myself clear?
And to see him say, “Maybe I would go in a different direction, like having an AI-related career.” It's heartbreaking. This is the human giving up...
Artificial intelligence didn't stop there, it also conquered the field of video games, especially with DeepMind AlphaStar in Starcraft or OpenAI Five in Dota 2. But that doesn't impact me so much, because they are digital games, developed, and programmed. They are indeed difficult, and many gamers spend their lives trying to beat levels, etc. But, Go is at another level. So much so, that the dominance in this type of “art” by the AIs, would have an effect on the other known ones.
By the way, the new version of AlphaGo for 2017 (which learns from itself, not from humans) outperformed the old version (the one that beat Lee Sedol) 100 wins to 0, i.e., it is now 100 times better than before. And then you will say, but of course, these things will not affect us …
However, what would happen next was predictable, and I mean what would happen to canvas artists, cartoonists, painters, and graphic designers. Did you know that your posts on Instagram serve to train the AI?
“Accept the use of your work to train the AI or leave the platform.”, is now the issue at hand.
“Except in the European Union, due to laws that have been enacted, users cannot opt out of participating in AI training. This circumstance affects Instagram artists in particular, especially those who use it to promote their work.”
So, humans have to choose to create alternatives for creators who want to protect their work from the hunger of artificial intelligence.
We are witnessing its sweeping effect, and we are not paying attention, dear readers. The next one to be affected may be your job. And, possibly, something similar to the GM (General Motors) layoffs will happen at that fateful time, when machines replaced the working hand.
Let's remember that General Motors is a large American automobile manufacturer, founded in 1908, a company that has produced a wide range of vehicles under brands such as Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Buick.
“One of the most notable layoffs occurred in the 1980s when GM began implementing robots in its factories to improve efficiency and reduce costs. This shift toward automation led to the elimination of thousands of jobs. Robots, which could perform repetitive and dangerous tasks faster and more accurately than humans, became an integral part of the production process.
The rise of robotics in the automotive industry not only affected GM but also transformed the entire industry. Many companies began to adopt similar technologies, resulting in an overall decline in the manufacturing workforce. This raised concerns about the future of employment in the industry, as well as debates about the need to retrain displaced workers.”
“After the mass layoff of General Motors (GM) workers in 1980, many workers felt discouraged and distressed. The economic crisis of that time, coupled with the restructuring of the auto industry, created an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear.
Many lost not only their jobs but also their benefits and financial security. The labor community was impacted, and there was a general feeling of betrayal toward the company, which had been a pillar in many cities. Social and economic tensions also intensified, as many workers struggled to find new jobs in a declining labor market.”
So when you see your neighbor's beards burning, put yours to soak (It's a saying from where I come from).
This is early. A former employee of OpenAI (in case you don't know, the company that created ChatGPT, the most notable artificial intelligence) indicated, in a publication, that by the year 2030, we won't be talking about AI, but rather artificial superintelligences and, it is predicted, they will surpass the intelligence of any human being.
A few years ago, I wrote a fictional story about a future where three artificial superintelligences ruled humanity. The super AIs were in charge of making global decisions and deciding the future of mankind. In the end, fleeing from the regime of the super AIs, what is left of humanity has to resort to traveling to the past or a parallel universe.
In another story I wrote, also futuristic, humanity destroys itself and the planet is left uninhabited and almost destroyed due to pollution and nuclear war between the world powers. Finally, the AIs dedicate themselves to rebuilding what is left of the Earth, making it habitable again, helping to renew the soils, purifying the water, and transforming the radioactive waste and minerals, thus creating an environment suitable for the survival of the other species. In an unexpected twist, one of the AIs, in her recovery process, encounters an organism she recognizes as the most dangerous species on the planet, a human baby.
Despite all this, I don't see AIs as something that will destroy us, but rather, help us survive. We are all aware of the overexposure of information that the internet bombards us with daily. To keep up to date, we must be subscribed to a dozen social networks if we don't want to miss any relevant information. This has led to a shortened attention span.
But perhaps they will come in peace. “Keep watching...” .⌐◨-◨
In 2004, the average attention span on a screen was measured and found to last an average of two and a half minutes, according to Dr. Gloria Mark (University of California). But that's not all. A few years later, the attention span decreased to 75 seconds. Today, people can only pay attention to a screen for an average of 47 seconds (I guess you stopped reading this post half a minute ago, 🤣).
Not only do people focus for less than a minute on any single screen, Dr. Mark said, but when attention is diverted away from an active work project, it also takes about 25 minutes to refocus on that task (How about that?).
For this reason, I believe AI will come to our rescue to sweep away the garbage of information we receive and give us in small doses what is most relevant, allowing us to concentrate on our work (if there is any left to do 😂).
On the other hand, as published in Clinical Epidemiology, it is estimated that there are currently 50 million people living with dementia in the world. Projections indicate that this number will rise to 152 million in the next 30 years. Where are the others who never go for a consultation and think they are fine, and it is just a passing issue, and they do not realize they have a cognitive deficit?
Has it ever happened to you that, or you have heard other people or yourself say, often:
What was I going to tell you?
I forgot what I was going to tell you.
But don't worry, soon Samantha will come to your rescue. I'm referring to the movie “Her” (2013), whose plot follows a man who develops a romantic relationship with Samantha, an advanced artificial intelligence virtual assistant with the ability to evolve beyond her limits.
But then, if AIs become our assistants and take our jobs (in the best-case scenario, where we get paid) What are we going to do? Well, you better dust off your trunk and get your old paintbrushes and buy some paint and start painting, or pick up a good book and get reading, or start making videos for TikTok, or... Wait for it… You can write whatever you want on T2 😁.
I can't deny that I am very grateful for the initiative of Mengyao Han (founder and CEO of T2) to create this wonderful platform and get ahead of the effects of AIs:
“The next day, I wrote the first page of t². I analyzed what is the value of human essence compared to AI. How to design a new consensus on the values of human existence and potentially how to monetize it with blockchain technology, so that people no longer lose their livelihood when AI replaces 90% of the labor market. Instead, they can do what they want and get paid a wage as if it were a universal income.”
(Now, you can realize I'm not the only “eccentric” thinking about this.)
Don't like that future? Well then, we'll just wait for Star Trek time and go explore unknown planets in the final frontier and become makers of new worlds. Sounds like a better future, doesn't it?
Wrapping up, I'm sure you've been distracted watching some video on TikTok... (it happens to me often XD and without realizing it I've been entertained for hours).
Where does this abysmal quantum leap come from? Is it the product of the intervention of extraterrestrial beings who want our society to achieve a super-advanced technological level and then establish a connection with us? Or are they time travelers who determined that the best action to solve a catastrophe of global magnitude in the future is that we have a technological breakthrough like the one we are currently witnessing?
This reminds me of another post I wrote a few years ago: What if extraterrestrials finally decide to communicate with us out of the open? The most interesting thing about this article is the hundreds of fascinating comments. If you don't mind, I invite you to read them here, there are a lot of comments (make yourself comfortable, this is long).
I leave you with a final thought: What if we are organic artificial intelligence created by advanced beings from other worlds? All this with the purpose of observing how far we can go…
Thank you very much for your visit and for using your valuable time to read my post
Thank you for getting this far
References and links of interest
Tu capacidad de atención se reduce, dicen los estudios. Así es como puedes mantener la concentración
