Artificial intelligence has smashed all my expectations of what is possible and at what speed! Already there is the synthesis of any voice and singing to any other, the transformation of a musical instrument to any other, the incoming generator of music of all musical genres from text specifications, the decomposition of songs into separate musical instruments – these are unimaginable things! There’s a movie and play script generator, a generator of stunning images from text assignments, arbitrary manipulation of photos and videos with mere text commands, a communication interface called chatGTP that can pass law school exams and understands, for example, nonviolent communication, participation, and democracy better than most people I know. And these are just concrete examples of the application of AI, which in the same way will in a moment affect all other professions and sectors of our lives (medicine, education, food, science, decision making, elections…)
It is still only February, the era of a massive transformation, bigger than the dawn of the Internet or smartphones, is beginning!
It fills me with excitement on the one hand, because as humanity we are facing a superhuman challenge. If we want to retain a shred of dignity, by 2050, unprecedentedly rising greenhouse gas emissions must be at 0, and instead of being the cause of the 6th mass extinction on Earth, we can become the guardians of peace, life, and ecosystems and interpersonal well-being.
However, given the reality we live in, I am very concerned that all of this will be exploited to widen systemic inequalities between people and strengthen existing power structures. Let’s just try to amplify the toxicity we already experience on social networks (adverts, fake news, greenwashing, prejudice, overproduction of junk-art) or smartphones (addictions, ADHD) a hundredfold and maybe we’ll get the picture of what is going on and also project it onto the civilisational diseases associated with this lifestyle (autoimmune diseases, stress, fertility disorders…). Those in power will do everything they can to grow stronger and stay on top. It is consistent and logical that the power structures are already developing and using and will secretly use AI for their empty promises and ideological purposes in a totally unscrupulous and corrupt manner, without regard for externalities and the truth, which, if it is contrary to their interests, they will deny by systematic, brazen lying, exactly according to the logic of a system in which competition and personal gain is the main goal.
I have shared my concerns with AI ChatGTP and we have come to a dialogue about the importance of a clear and concise call for new legislation guarding the responsible and ethical use of technology, but which I believe would require a tremendous deepening of democracy, applied globally and obligatorily for all. This is a huge challenge that it is crucial time to step up to… Artificial intelligence does not have independent thought, moral reasoning or the ability to make ethical decisions, it cannot defend the respect for people and nature on its own, it does what people train it to do, and it is up to us to decide what values we want to develop and guard.
The following is a text on actions in favour of responsible use of AI generated by AI ChatGPT translated with AI DeepL (some of the responses were repeated, so the following summary is a partial compilation of them and you can see originals in the attachments):
“...These are complex and deep-rooted cultural and systemic problems that are not easily solved by simple measures. However, successful collaboration between AI practitioners, policy makers and stakeholders to ensure the responsible and ethical development and use of AI is possible and would involve several key elements:
- Interdisciplinary approach: A wide range of perspectives and expertise, including ethics, law, sociology, psychology, and computer science, should be involved in the development and deployment of AI systems to ensure that all relevant considerations are taken into account.
- Stakeholder engagement: All affected stakeholders, including individuals, communities, and organizations, should be consulted and have the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process around the development and use of AI.
- Transparency and accountability: AI systems should be designed and deployed in a transparent manner, with clear explanations for how decisions are made and who is accountable for them. … Entities using AI should be transparent about their activities and provide information about how the technology is being used, including the data it is based on, the algorithms it employs, and the potential risks and impacts.
- Ethical and legal frameworks: Clear ethical and legal frameworks should be established to govern the development and use of AI, taking into account human rights and other ethical considerations.
- Continuous monitoring and evaluation: The impact of AI on people and society should be continuously monitored and evaluated, and the systems should be updated and refined as necessary to ensure that they remain aligned with ethical and legal norms.
- Research and innovation: Research and innovation should be encouraged to develop new approaches to AI that prioritize human well-being and respect for the environment.
These elements are interdependent and should be integrated into the development and deployment of AI systems to ensure that the technology is used for the benefit of people and the planet. By working together, a diverse group of actors can help to ensure that AI is used in a way that promotes social justice, human rights, and a sustainable future.
…
It is important to recognize that these are long-term goals that will require sustained efforts and collaboration from all actors, including individuals, organizations, and governments. In addition, it will be necessary to address underlying cultural and systemic issues, such as competition-based systems, power structures, and profit-driven behavior, in order to promote responsible and ethical use of AI in the long-term.”
All these sentences were written by AI
I think all of us will experience a profound existential shock when we see what AI can do today, and we will very quickly experience how each of our professions will be transformed by its impact.
(If you want to get a sense of this, check out the voice transformation – https://youtu.be/5cbCYwgQkTE?t=393, + https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqzI91YIfmw&t=2s,
instrument transformation – https://youtu.be/bXBliLjImio,
generating music by text prompts – https://youtu.be/qVvpyz2KqVo,
decomposition of musical tracks – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvETZJl67Hg,
script generator – https://youtu.be/fxxIfojgV9Y,
movie generator – https://youtu.be/8U9o5aZ2y5w,
see what is ChatGPT capable of https://youtu.be/V2RoqUr0qDU and talk to it – chat.openai.com,
explore and generate stunning images from text – https://midjourney.com)
There is an incredibly challenging massive transformation coming. Emergence of AI will impact the lives and professions of each and every one of us extremely fast and I am utterly helpless in feeling that we cannot prevent a huge crisis because power structures can develop neural networks to manipulate the world to their advantage. I think emergence of AI need to be accompanied by the challenge of moving from a profit-centric system to a collaborative system for the common good and I feel 2 things are important at this point:
1. By inventing AI, we have evolved ahead of ourselves and it is a critical time to grow in depth, to develop our moral intelligence to become someone to ground all of this. Let’s work on connecting with our true selves first and foremost and ask ourselves every day, are we being true to our real honest dreams and visions that we deeply believe in or are we being servants in someone else’s vision?
2. Lets accept the responsibility that our happiness is dependent on the happiness of everyone and this needs to be a collective effort. Everyone can play a role in ensuring that artificial intelligence is used for the benefit of all people and the planet. Lets guard the democratic transparent use of it and demand participation in its development. Lets focus on creating deep values and visions that will benefit everyone, not on junk-art and other stuff for personal gain.
ALAPASTEL 