Artificial Intelligence A Threat? #408
By Hank Silverberg
In 1942, a science fiction writer named Isaac Asimov wrote a short story called Runaround that was later included in the 1950 collection called I, Robot.
Asimov knew human beings should maintain control of such machines and created for his stories a guidebook called "Three Laws of Robotics 2058". He was just about right in his predictions.
And that brings up the question: are you using Artificial Intelligence in your workplace or elsewhere? It's hard to avoid it. Even Google searches will now bring up an AI overview. This one came up when I googled AI:
"Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of a computer or machine to mimic human thinking, learning and problem-solving."
Those promoting the new technology say it can be used for all kinds of things, from spacecrafts to writing reports to medical research.
But for me it may present mankind with a genuine threat. Yes, people have raged against machines before, from the automobile assembly line to self- checkout at the supermarket. Jobs are threatened. Some have been eliminated by AI. But that is only part of it. If I asked it to, I could get an AI to write this blog every week just by telling it the subject matter and format.
At present, such writing might not have the insight of an educated human brain to write it as well as a person (at least I hope not). But AI is advancing so fast it's only a matter of time before that happens. Some scientists and politicians have warned about this. The Trump administration, looking perhaps more at fast profit and military applications, have tried to downplay the danger.
This past week some of the biggest AI company leaders got together at the White House and came out of a meeting with an agreement to self-police the industry to prevent abuse or misuse of the technology. But to me, that's like asking Exxon to come up with regulations on handling oil spills. It's the fox watching the henhouse. The Director of National Intelligence will lead a task force to possibly come up with something more concrete.
But we need an international agreement programmed into all AI formats that protect human beings from being harmed by these machines. Asimov may have been a science fiction writer, but those precautions he outlined in his books in the 1950's could soon become science fact in the 21st Century.
Here are Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics that can easily be modified to deal with 21st Century reality:
Law 1: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to be injured.
Law 2: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
Law 3: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
In 1985, Asimov added one more law:
A machine must not gain sovereignty by stripping sovereignty from humans.
True, those laws were originally created for science fiction. But with the rapid advances of AI, something like them needs to be established on an international scale, soon. We can not kick this one down the road, or worse, just ignore it.
News You May Have Missed!
Flock Cameras
Smile, you're on candid camera! And chances are, you can be followed around town without you even knowing it.
 |
| (A flock camera courtesy stcharlescitymo.gov) |
Right now the flock cameras don't use facial recognition technology, but that can be added in the future, and has been used by some foreign governments, including China.
Critics say the mass surveillance network can eliminate some Constitutional protections, including the 4th Amendment ban against "unreasonable search and seizure", and can create a massive database that can be used across the country. That information has already been used for immigration enforcement in Michigan.
Are You Ready To Vote?
Several states have already begun early voting for the November midterm elections, including here in Virginia where I live. I voted early in person Wednesday. It was no hassle, in and out in a few minutes. Several more states begin early voting this week.
If you can, it might be a good idea to go early because of all the talk of federal agents at the polls on Election Day, and now a plan by the Democrats to counter that if it happens.
Democrats say the "New Battlefield" project is intended to recruit 10,000 volunteers to guard polling places in case federal agents show up. Protests are likely.
Meanwhile, legal scholars are already distributing advice for judges on what they should do if the federal government tries to seize ballots or the machines that counted them.
The Trump administration says it has no plans to put ICE officers at the polls, which had been threatened a few months ago.
Federal law clearly prevents the government from deploying armed troops, agents or officers at election sites.
Any federal police presence at the polls would be intimidating to some voters.
All of this talk is unprecedented in modern U.S. elections.
Dumbest Quote Of The Week!
This week's dumbest quotes come from Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, who has already fired or forced out more than 20 Generals at the Pentagon. Now he said in a speech that he wants to cut 20% more, and made it clear who was being targeted:
“Simple translation of that: no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals."
It comes at the same time he announced a new Office of Religious Affairs at the Pentagon, steppling deeply into the ban against religious freedom. Hegseth said the department won't mandate anything, but at the same time he said:
"Our department is, you might say, putting on the full armor of God, because while we wage physical war, we all know the real battle is spiritual."
The backlash was quick from Congress and elsewhere, so we shall see where it goes.
(Your comments and suggestions are welcome)
My recent book "The Campaign" can be purchased at the links below. Or you can buy a copy by emailing me at: HankSilverberg@gmail.com for instructions on how to get a copy at a reduced price and with my signature)
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-campaign-hank-silverberg/1126429796
My NEWEST book is now available. It is designed for use in Public Speaking and entry level communications classes.
Comments
Post a Comment
Reactive comments are welcome. Please keep it civil. Any direct attack on the blogger or those who post is not welcome and will be deleted.