And this is why it’s important to me.
To be honest, the world is advancing at a rapid pace. Recently, Elon Musk, the Israeli Prime Minister, an MIT researcher, and a co-founder of OpenAI engaged in a public discussion about our future with AI. This prospect has me both deeply excited and concerned.
Video Link — https://youtu.be/S15Yl9Sfwlg
- In the best scenario, AI would enable humanity to live as if we were literally in heaven. AI robots would cure all diseases, grow and cook for us, and entertain us. We could potentially live forever… unless one day we choose to ‘rest in peace.’
- This future is there for us to create, not just to anticipate or speculate. I heard Sam Altman quote someone, saying, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
- How will we, as a species, respond to AI surpassing us in every capability? When AGI is here, which, according to the predictions of these brilliant minds, may arrive as soon as 2030.
- Let’s face it, most people go to work because they “have to,” not because they “want to.” Then, why do we feel deeply insecure when we are said to lose our jobs? Is it our ‘self-worth’ that suddenly becomes void when AI is so much more competent than us? Or is it a subconscious connection to fear that no work means no income and no income means death?
- We, as a species, have invested heavily in our capabilities. Many of us identify with our abilities. Consider how we introduce ourselves; “I’m an electrical engineer,” “I’m a teacher,” etc., often follows our name. If someone is capable in some way, they feel good about themselves; if not, they feel inadequate.
- Society seldom questions this perspective and rewards those who invest in it. This perspective is not nonsensical since survival has always been important. Our parents are happy to see us thrive in society, so they reward behaviors that align with this goal, such as studying hard and striving to improve in any endeavor.
- When we consider losing our jobs to machines and no longer needing to work (in the best-case scenario, universal basic HIGH income is coming), we are compelled to rethink what it means to be ourselves.
- So, how do we redefine what it means to be a human being? I won’t pretend to have the answer, and I believe my personal answer may not be that important to you anyway. Your answer will be highly personal, so I will leave that to you.
Would you be interested in trying out the AI life coach I built? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll message you the link.
— Grammar checking credit goes to GPT4 —
