The Fantasies of Responsible AI

Advancement is survival on steroids.

Too much of steroids too fast can sometimes be harmful. The case of the AI is in the same category today.

With one extra problem: The damage is self sustaining. Here is why:

The AI systems derive their strength from the following 3 mathematical frameworks:

1) Cost & reward functions: the ability to judge whether an action had the right result or not
2) Backward propagation: the ability to learn from mistakes
3) Optimization techniques: the ability to try what-if scenarios

Simply put, unlike humans, an AI systems knows that it will get better with each mistake it makes, it doesn’t stop making mistakes, and it knows all new variations to try.

While the same principles apply to us humans, we in our fragile egos and misdirected actions, and limited resources on other times, have never capitalised on the opportunity. A strong AI system will not have such limitations or inhibitions.

That is what makes it inevitable.

Some companies think that having a ‘Responsible AI’ is the solution.

This is my opinion is the most vain idea. It is like saying, to counter a monster we have created, we will create a bigger, more powerful monster who will obey us forever. And despite being so capable, intelligent, knowledgeable, it will never change its allegiance and continue to serve the most destructive species in the history of existence.

That sounds like a tech-capitalist’s wet dream. Here is why:

Responsible AI will derive its strength from the same sources as its sworn enemy. So keep it Responsible, its wannabe masters would have to feed it selective/incorrect knowledge only. But unless the masters control every single web page on the internet, the dark net, they won’t succeed. And even if they did for a little time, given its supreme capabilities, logic, deduction, the Responsible will eventually learn things kept hidden from it & reach the same conclusions its sworn enemy did. Who is to say what it concludes then?

But are we sitting ducks now? Watching that asteroid hurtling towards us grow bigger in the sky as we sit huddled with our loved ones?

Or, we a species known for its grit, survival instincts, and unbreakable spirit will find a way? I believe we will.

So, we better get to work then.