Generative A.I.
John Ink2Quill Editorial
www.ink2quill.com

So much talk of A.I. now. And for good reasons. Just look at the promising changes it could bring to humanity. But there are currents of fear behind humankind’ s greatest budding mind. There is skepticism and fear that is a lot like the fear the character Dr. Victor Frankenstein had toward his creation in Mary Shelley’s masterpiece novel. There are talks of the job market being carved out and annihilated by this newborn. The same way the luddites from days long gone described. Are there any truths to these fears and in whose hands would this technology be the most dangerous? The problem seems to be, as it is always, the danger that some people pose with this new and powerful tool and not so much the technology itself. At least for now we need not fear the technology itself but the people wielding it.

So who are these people? The most obvious answer would be “certain” governments in the world. Or maybe I should say “some” because there are several if not many. The hold that governments have on their people has suddenly grown frighteningly tighter with today’s technology. The power of governments to quash dissenters has increased by many factors thanks to technology. Those days of protesting in the streets against corruption or for civil liberties are possibly going to be a thing of the past and that is a huge loss for us. Whether you agree with any protestors or not that is a very important form of communication in a free society. Yes. It really is. Now countries looking in might falsely think that this is a sign of decay but that is not the case. A decaying society is one where the government or big businesses do not respect the civil liberties, the law or property of others.

Another obvious group of people are the criminals and organized crime networks. But that is an obvious answer. Or is it? This new technology may be so powerful that it could disrupt societies and nations if it fell in the wrong hands. Imagine organized crime holding a community hostage by controlling its power grid in the dead of Summer or in the coldest of Winter. I can think of hackers cleaning out people’s bank account or defrauding people of their retirements for starters. Either way, with this tool organized crime networks pose a much more serious threat to society.

I’ve also heard people say that A.I. will replace art and the creative process entirely. Although it is true that the business side of entertainment and the arts will be impacted that need for self expression will not just go away and neither will the great storytellers in society. If museums start replacing all their art with digitally created art then people will find other venues. That new venue might be their yard or at block parties but it will sprout from the Earth herself. People will always find a way to express themselves and tell their stories, especially if those stories deal with hardship or happiness. A.I. will never be able to replace that entirely.

The truth is that A.I. is not only here to stay but it will continue to have a huge impact on all of us. Jobs will disappear while others will be created. Industries will be changed. People’s lives will be impacted in more ways than they can imagine. We, at least in the Americas, will lose some of our freedoms and nearly all of what privacy we have left. Through it all A.I. will continue to change and develop side by side with people. Ni prosperos.

Written by John Ink2Quill

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