Hopeful AI 1

So many experts in technology sound alarm bells about the danger of artificial intelligence (AI) to the future of humanity. Without a doubt, there are dangerous possibilities.

Other opinions, though, are out there. Naturally, CEO's of companies leading the way in AI are optimistic and enthusiastic. That would include Sam Altman and Larry Ellison. 

Altman's OpenAI has a vision for a beneficial role of AI in our future. They see AI elevating all humanity, functioning for our benefit. An AI user and an AI developer say, "This technology can usher in an age of flourishing the likes of which we have never seen."

 

But they also tell us to prepare for some disorientation as well, because "AI will change what it is to be human." They are certain that AI will exceed human intelligence by 2030 . . a mere five years away. So that means: we won't have intelligence supremacy anymore.

What should we do to prepare? More of what we are best at doing. We have value way beyond mere intelligence (see tomorrow's post).

 from The Free Press

(My image is Grok-generated)

(cont'd tomorrow)

Hopeful AI 4

Follow up to these posts

We're going into a new paradigm, according to most experts, where artificial intelligence reaches into all our lives. Opinions abound but nobody really knows all the effects it will have on us. Some are optimistic; many (including experts) are afraid.

Maybe there's "real world" reasons to be hopeful, to believe AI will not bring in dystopia.

Killer robots, for example, would require enormous amounts of power. "AI programs simply can’t run on your work computer, smartphone, self-driving car, smart appliance, or any kind of robot." 

Any disruption of our infrastructure could take it down: disruptions like another pandemic or a breakdown of the electrical grid or war. The development and maintenance of AI systems depends on all our other systems to function.

from "The Miracle and the Menace of AI"

Hopeful AI 2

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

So this author says AI will soon be smarter than us humans. That is still debated among the experts--but if true, then he's right that we will certainly have to lean on and develop the best parts of our human nature. 

Smartness has never been the only good thing about humans. It's good to know information and understand it, but as people created in the image of God, there's more.

• Having true friends and being one, having genuine relationships with other people, will never really be replaced by AI (though it can be faked).
• Creative thinking will never be replaced by AI, creative in the sense of creating new organizations, businesses, families, ideas (though some white-collar jobs will be replaced).
• Taking responsibility to build your own character virtues will never be replaced. Your experience of life will still be directly affected by your honesty, generosity, discipline, compassion, etc.

Materialists who believe nothing exists but physical reality may have to re-think their assumptions. Transcendent qualities like love and honor arise from outside the material world. 

These things arise from the immaterial spirit of a person (see Friday's post).

 

from The Free Press

Hopeful AI 5

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

So . . maybe AI won't take over the world and make us into slaves because the real-world requirements (power, size of servers, infrastructure stability) are limiting, as the scientist author predicts in yesterday's post.

But "brain atrophy" is a true danger if people will not develop their own human wisdom and intelligence. It's already happening in schools. 

Even when we all use AI to mine information (image), your distinctive humanity will be needed. Good decisions will have to be made, and good hands-on skills will construct homes and infrastructure.

Prepare your children. Train them to read from physical books, because--amazingly--comprehension is 6-8 times better than from e-books. Train them in how to think for themselves and how to make their own good decisions. Train them in people skills and how to develop friendships. 

from "The Miracle and Menace of AI Part 5"

Hopeful AI 3

Are you using artificial intelligence yet at work, at school, or for personal questions? If not, it's a good idea to get familiar with it. As you have probably heard, it's only going to grow and have huge impact.

Here's a suggestion for you. Get started. Grok, as well as other AI's, can be used for free (so far, anyway). I asked it this question: "Should I remove a second stem which has started to grow on my 6-foot spruce tree?" It answered thoroughly:

"For a young 6-foot spruce tree with an additional stem or trunk (often called a double leader or co-dominant stem), it’s generally recommended to remove one of the stems to promote the tree’s long-term health and structural stability. Here’s why and how to approach it:

"Why Remove One Stem?
1. **Structural Integrity**: Two competing stems can create a weak crotch (the point where they join), increasing the risk of splitting under wind, snow, or ice, especially as the tree grows taller.
2. **Aesthetic Shape**: Spruce trees typically have a single, straight leader for their characteristic conical shape. A double leader can lead to an unbalanced or irregular form.
3. **Resource Competition**: Two stems compete for nutrients, water, and sunlight, potentially weakening the tree’s overall growth."

There was much more, including detail about the method. The answer was practical and helpful. This is the most basic use of AI, and probably reliable. 

AI & nuclear 1

Remember the "Metaverse," that virtual reality envisioned by Mark Zuckerberg? After billions of dollars of investment, there was enormous loss. The Metaverse virtual reality platforms still exist, but not as the company's primary focus. 

Instead, Meta has turned to artificial intelligence. Their new superintelligence research lab will be led by the founder of Scale AI (they paid $14.3 billion dollars for a 49% share in his company).

As MIT commented, building out AI will require "staggering" amounts of energy. So they're actively looking for nuclear developers with whom they can partner (read: invest $) to produce new power. That could include either big conventional plants, or the emerging SMR's (small modular reactors).

But of course fusion (instead of current fission) nuclear would be the breakthrough solution if the theory ever becomes practical. Meta has an agreement with Helion, as does Microsoft, for the delivery of fusion-produced nuclear power by 2028. 

Can Helion do it? It remains to be seen. We're hopeful. They've started on Microsoft's nuclear fusion plant: