Artificial intelligence should be curtailed, or it should be accelerated: thesis and antithesis, but no synthesis. Rather than picking a side, we should consider alternative rallying cries that place the focus where it belongs: humanity.
True, many imaginative creations – from Mary Shelley’s monster in Frankenstein to James Cameron’s killer cyborg in Terminator – are meant to be cautionary. We naturally feel fear when initially encountering “the other” or “the new.” But the griffin reminds us that we can convert fear into a sense of majestic possibility. Ultimately, humans are both the creators and the products of their symbols, culture, environment and decisions. Together with AI, we can create more griffins.
The fourth maxim is that we must take small risks to have any hope of navigating the big ones. Rather than trying to eliminate risk altogether – which is impossible – we ought to welcome challenges that could bring failure, because these create opportunities for iteration, reflection, discussion and continual improvement.
Moreover, AI may help us become more humane. Consider how responsive, present and patient conversational AI models and chatbots can be. These features could have a profound impact on us. Not everyone has reliable access to human kindness and support. But when such resources become readily available, that will improve many people’s own capacities for kindness and empathy. And empathy can beget empathy. I think this dimension of AI’s potential has yet to be fully appreciated.