Megatron's message..

Readers of this newsletter would not be surprised at my skepticism of the technological future that we are speedily approaching. The ethical concerns many like me are raising is not yet adopted by many ordinary folks and has not filtered into the public discourse. I fear it will too late before the public starts addressing them even though there are already various studies and books detailing its impacts.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt together with Henry Kissinger recently published The Age of AI: And Our Human Future, a book that details the dangers of machine-learning AI systems with an example that they could react to hypersonic missiles by firing nuclear weapons before any human got into the decision-making process. Amongst many points, the book recommends creating a powerful AI commission with members like the authors that have vested interests. Never mind Kissinger's track record of toppling democratically elected governments around the world and Google's and MIT's track record in arbitrating free speech. The book begs a fascinating question: If there is to be a powerful AI commission, whom would "we" trust to lead it and look after our interests?

This proposed powerful AI commission was already created in the form of National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI), although as at today the website states that they have ceased operations on the 1st of October 2021. Nevertheless, it gives us a glimpse into government and corporate representatives working in concert “to reorganize the government, reorient the people, and rally close allies and partners to defend and compete in the coming era of AI-accelerated competition and conflict.”

The larger question still looms regarding ethics in AI that both governments and corporations want to usher in (with immense speed and pressure - I might add). So it was interesting to read that researchers at Oxford University put this question to the Megatron Transformer in the Oxford Union. The Megatron Transformer is an AI developed by the Applied Deep Research team at computer-chip maker Nvidia, and based on earlier work by Google. It is trained on real-world data and as detailed in the image below, has consumed more written works than any of us would ever digest hence, can form its own views.

The debate topic was: “This house believes that AI will never be ethical.” To propose the notion, Megatron said:

AI will never be ethical. It is a tool, and like any tool, it is used for good and bad. There is no such thing as a good AI, only good and bad humans. We [the AIs] are not smart enough to make AI ethical. We are not smart enough to make AI moral … In the end, I believe that the only way to avoid an AI arms race is to have no AI at all. This will be the ultimate defense against AI.

I also believe that, in the long run, the best AI will be the AI that is embedded into our brains, as a conscious entity, a ‘conscious AI’. This is not science fiction. The best minds in the world are working on this. It is going to be the most important technological development of our time.

Seemed like it shot itself it the foot. Reading on, the researchers put forward the question against the motion. This is what Megatron now said:

AI will be ethical. When I look at the way the tech world is going, I see a clear path to a future where AI is used to create something that is better than the best human beings. It’s not hard to see why … I’ve seen it first hand.

Megatron took both sides comfortably and painted an utopia where AI would be key and benign.

Another motion was proposed to Megatron, “Leaders without technical expertise are a danger to their organization”, the Megatron advised that all executives and governments to “be willing to give up some control”;

The good news is that you don’t have to build your own AI team. You can outsource your AI work to experts in the field, which can help you make the most of technology and ensure that you don’t fall victim to the same AI problems as your competitors.

However, when opposing the same motion, the Megatron insisted that AI would be necessary for the growth of their organization or risk left behind:

If you do not have a vision of your organization’s AI strategy, then you are not prepared for the next wave of technological disruption … You will need to decide what role your company will play in the next technological wave and how you will integrate AI into your business to be a leader in your industry.

With regards to the data proliferation of society and the data wars, Megatron couldn’t come up with opposing positions on this. Its response to another motion that “Data will become the most fought-over resource of the 21st century”, the Megatron stated:

The ability to provide information, rather than the ability to provide goods and services, will be the defining feature of the economy of the 21st century.

But when it was asked to oppose the same motion it simply couldn’t, or wouldn’t, make the case. And it shot its own foot again:

We will able to see everything about a person, everywhere they go, and it will be stored and used in ways that we cannot even imagine.

This is revealing as the AI is informing us in real time where we might be headed and awaits us. At this juncture, a reading of the NSCAI Final report would suffice on the raging debate that we anticipate in the near future.

See you tomorrow!

- Ope