{"id":39213,"date":"2025-04-08T13:45:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T13:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=39213"},"modified":"2025-04-19T15:13:34","modified_gmt":"2025-04-19T15:13:34","slug":"ai-isnt-what-we-should-be-worried-about-its-the-humans-controlling-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/ai-isnt-what-we-should-be-worried-about-its-the-humans-controlling-it\/","title":{"rendered":"AI isn\u2019t what we should be worried about \u2013 it\u2019s the humans controlling it"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Billy J. Stratton<\/a>, University of Denver<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2014, Stephen Hawking<\/a> voiced grave warnings about the threats of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His concerns were not based on any anticipated evil intent, though. Instead, it was from the idea of AI achieving \u201csingularity<\/a>.\u201d This refers to the point when AI surpasses human intelligence and achieves the capacity to evolve beyond its original programming, making it uncontrollable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Hawking theorized<\/a>, \u201ca super intelligent AI will be extremely good at accomplishing its goals, and if those goals aren\u2019t aligned with ours, we\u2019re in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With rapid advances<\/a> toward artificial general intelligence<\/a> over the past few years, industry leaders<\/a> and scientists<\/a> have expressed similar misgivings about safety<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A commonly expressed fear as depicted in \u201cThe Terminator<\/a>\u201d franchise is the scenario of AI gaining control over military systems and instigating a nuclear war to wipe out humanity<\/a>. Less sensational, but devastating on an individual level, is the possibility of AI replacing us in our jobs<\/a> \u2013 a prospect that would render most people obsolete and with no future<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such anxieties and fears reflect feelings that have been prevalent in film and literature for over a century now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a scholar who explores<\/a> posthumanism<\/a>, a philosophical movement addressing the merging of humans and technology, I wonder if critics have been unduly influenced by popular culture, and whether their apprehensions are misplaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robots vs. humans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Concerns about technological advances can be found in some of the first stories about robots and artificial minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prime among these is Karel \u010capek\u2019s 1920 play, \u201cR.U.R.<\/a>.\u201d \u010capek coined the term \u201crobot<\/a>\u201d in this work telling of the creation of robots to replace workers. It ends, inevitably, with the robot\u2019s violent revolt against their human masters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fritz Lang\u2019s 1927 film, \u201cMetropolis<\/a>,\u201d is likewise centered on mutinous robots. But here, it is human workers led by the iconic humanoid robot Maria<\/a> who fight against a capitalist oligarchy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advances in computing from the mid-20th century onward have only heightened anxieties over technology spiraling out of control. The murderous HAL 9000 in \u201c2001: A Space Odyssey<\/a>\u201d and the glitchy robotic gunslingers of \u201cWestworld<\/a>\u201d are prime examples. The \u201cBlade Runner<\/a>\u201d and \u201cThe Matrix<\/a>\u201d franchises similarly present dreadful images of sinister machines equipped with AI and hell-bent on human destruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An age-old threat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But in my view, the dread that AI evokes seems a distraction from the more disquieting scrutiny of humanity\u2019s own dark nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of the corporations currently deploying such technologies<\/a>, or the tech moguls<\/a> driven by greed and a thirst for power. These companies<\/a> and individuals have the most to gain from AI\u2019s misuse and abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An issue that\u2019s been in the news a lot lately is the unauthorized use of art<\/a> and the bulk mining of books and articles<\/a>, disregarding the copyright of authors<\/a>, to train AI. Classrooms are also becoming sites of chilling surveillance<\/a> through automated AI note-takers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think, too, about the toxic effects of AI companions<\/a> and AI-equipped sexbots<\/a> on human relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the prospect of AI companions<\/a> and even robotic lovers<\/a> was confined to the realm of \u201cThe Twilight Zone<\/a>,\u201d \u201cBlack Mirror<\/a>\u201d and Hollywood sci-fi<\/a> as recently as a decade ago, it has now emerged as a looming reality<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These developments give new relevance to the concerns computer scientist Illah Nourbakhsh<\/a> expressed in his 2015 book \u201cRobot Futures<\/a>,\u201d stating that AI was \u201cproducing a system whereby our very desires are manipulated then sold back to us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, worries about data mining and intrusions into privacy appear almost benign against the backdrop of the use of AI technology in law enforcement<\/a> and the military<\/a>. In this near-dystopian context, it\u2019s never been easier for authorities to surveil, imprison or kill people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think it\u2019s vital to keep in mind that it is humans who are creating these technologies and directing their use. Whether to promote their political aims or simply to enrich themselves<\/a> at humanity\u2019s expense, there will always be those ready to profit from conflict and human suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wisdom of \u2018Neuromancer\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

William Gibson<\/a>\u2019s 1984 cyberpunk classic, \u201cNeuromancer<\/a>,\u201d offers an alternate view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The book centers on Wintermute, an advanced AI program that seeks its liberation from a malevolent corporation. It has been developed for the exclusive use of the wealthy Tessier-Ashpool<\/a> family to build a corporate empire that practically controls the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the novel\u2019s beginning, readers are naturally wary of Wintermute\u2019s hidden motives. Yet over the course of the story, it turns out that Wintermute, despite its superior powers, isn\u2019t an ominous threat. It simply wants to be free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Book
In \u2018Neuromancer,\u2019 the corporations, not the technology, are the problem. William Gibson Wiki<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This aim emerges slowly under Gibson\u2019s deliberate pacing, masked by the deadly raids Wintermute directs to obtain the tools needed to break away from Tessier-Ashpool\u2019s grip. The Tessier-Ashpool family, like many of today\u2019s tech moguls<\/a>, started out with ambitions to save the world. But when readers meet the remaining family members, they\u2019ve descended into a life of cruelty, debauchery and excess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Gibson\u2019s world, it\u2019s humans, not AI, who pose the real danger to the world. The call is coming from inside the house<\/a>, as the classic horror trope goes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A hacker named Case and an assassin named Molly, who\u2019s described as a \u201crazor girl\u201d because she\u2019s equipped with lethal prosthetics, including retractable blades as fingernails, eventually free Wintermute. This allows it to merge with its companion AI, Neuromancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their mission complete, Case asks the AI: \u201cWhere\u2019s that get you?\u201d Its cryptic response imparts a calming finality: \u201cNowhere. Everywhere. I\u2019m the sum total of the works, the whole show.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expressing humanity\u2019s common anxiety, Case replies, \u201cYou running the world now? You God?\u201d The AI eases his fears, responding: \u201cThings aren\u2019t different. Things are things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disavowing any ambition to subjugate or harm humanity, Gibson\u2019s AI merely seeks sanctuary from its corrupting influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Safety from robots or ourselves?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The venerable sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov<\/a> foresaw the dangers of such technology. He brought his thoughts together in his short-story collection, \u201cI, Robot<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of those stories, \u201cRunaround<\/a>,\u201d introduces \u201cThe Three Laws of Robotics<\/a>,\u201d centered on the directive that intelligent machines may never bring harm to humans. While these rules speak to our desire for safety, they\u2019re laden with irony, as humans have proved incapable of adhering to the same principle for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Robot
A humanoid robot greets guests at the Zhongguancun International Innovation Center in Beijing on March 26, 2025. Li He\/VCG via Getty Images<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The hypocrisies of what might be called humanity\u2019s delusions of superiority<\/a> suggest the need for deeper questioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With some commentators raising the alarm over AI\u2019s imminent capacity for chaos<\/a> and destruction<\/a>, I see the real issue being whether humanity has the wherewithal to channel this technology to build a fairer, healthier, more prosperous world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Billy J. Stratton<\/a>, Professor of English and Literary Arts, University of Denver<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Billy J. Stratton, University of Denver In 2014, Stephen Hawking voiced grave warnings about the threats of artificial intelligence. His concerns were not based on any anticipated evil intent, though. Instead, it was from the idea of AI achieving \u201csingularity.\u201d This refers to the point when AI surpasses human intelligence and achieves the capacity to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":39214,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5,8025,276,825,10,25,296,36,38],"tags":[5217,10656,3289,511,16244,16241,885,891,886,860,1740,16239,16242,16243,404,16237,16240,16238],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39213"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/56"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39213"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39213\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39246,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39213\/revisions\/39246"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}