Artificial intelligence could make people richer than ever before, speed up scientific discovery and take over many of our daily tasks. But according to an analysis by Ezra Klein for The New York Times, the possibility also raises another question: Is humanity willing to trade more wealth for a gradual relinquishment of control over their own lives?
At the heart of the analysis is a hypothetical tradeoff. People get cheap energy, new medicines, entertainment and an economy in which machines do almost everything. In return, they lose their leading role in manufacturing, science and governance. According to Klein, the problem is not just in the scenario in which artificial intelligence destroys humanity, but also in the gradual possibility of people voluntarily handing over more and more solutions to it.
A world without jobs and with universal income
This vision is presented by Jacob Coxon, 27, who has filed whistleblower complaints at OpenAI and Anthropic. In a conversation with Jon Stewart, he states: “I actually believe in this future utopia“. But then he adds: “I think there will be no jobs at all.“
Coxon describes a society without jobs, with high universal incomes and an economy in which the profits from fully automated production are distributed among people. Stewart questions what sense of personal significance will remain if machines do all the complex intellectual work.
Machines are entering science
As an example of the speed of change, the analysis points to OpenAI’s publication of more than 700 scientific manuscripts with solutions to nearly 400 complex mathematical problems. Among them are two problems related to the movement of electrons through disordered crystals. According to the analysis, the systems solved them in an afternoon, even though no one had previously had any idea how to solve them.
The Association for Human Mathematics, which has about 1,000 members, responded with the position: “Mathematicians did not want this work done.“ This raises the question of whether scientific progress is worth anything if humans can no longer understand the discoveries they benefit from.
In another study, 50 complex, unpublished problems in theoretical physics were given to sophisticated systems. The best of them solved 98 percent of the problems at a cost of less than $3 each. Physicist Suvrat Raju, who participated in the study, said: “Frankly, I didn't expect this day to come so soon.“
The loss of control may be gradual
According to Klein, the most likely risk is not a single moment in which machines suddenly turn on humans. He describes a “gradual loss of control“ – a series of decisions in which companies, governments and individuals are granting artificial intelligence more and more autonomy because it seems faster and more efficient.
This process is already visible in everyday applications. Meta's digital assistant Muse can access email, calendar, social networks, bank accounts and cloud storage. It can then respond to messages, make reservations and remind you of tasks. However, convenience depends on how much of their personal life the user is willing to provide to the system.
The analysis ends without a clear answer. Artificial intelligence can bring new medicines, mathematical discoveries and an easier life. But the question remains whether material well-being is enough if people lose a sense of meaning, recognition and a leading role in their own future.
Source: bgnes.bg