Thanks to Hollywood films, we have enough knowledge about the dangers and destructive capabilities of artificial intelligence and how much risk they are to human life on Earth.

Is it that simple? Will Artificial Intelligence Rule The World and Enslave Humans in the future? Can we rely only on our fears with limited and little information? Definitely not.

Are there dangers with AI? Yes, unless we don`t manage them. On the contrary, are there opportunities? Yes, unless we become a victim of our ego`s dark sides.

I want to clarify a few points in this article to help us rewire our perception.

Let`s start with three types of artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, we have become familiar with only one type of it, which could be programmed to become a cyber villain.

1. ARTIFICIAL NARROW INTELLIGENCE (ANI)

Artificial narrow intelligence is about programming machines to autonomously meet specific needs with advanced computing, decision-making, neural networks, and deep learning.

It is the current state of AI studies. We can program machines to specific tasks more efficiently than humans and can save time, money, and other limited resources. They help us achieve productivity, reduce cost, improve quality and delivery.

Rise of ANI has been creating a lot of questions about the risk of unemployment. A recent study from McKinsey Global Institute predicts that intelligent agents and robots could replace up to 30 percent of the world’s current human labor by 2030.

Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael Osborne from Oxford estimates that 47% of American jobs are at high risk by the mid-2030s.

According to Oxford Economics, robots will take over 20 million jobs in manufacturing by 2030. World Economic Forum suggests that 75 million jobs will be lost to automation.

In comparison, 133 million new jobs will be created with new technologies. Another study suggests that 88% of the jobs globally are carried out by humans, while this rate is expected to be reduced to 47% in the next 20 years.

Ancient scripts write about people having similar concerns about losing their jobs when the plow was invented thousands of years ago. AI will surely take over many routine tasks done by humans.

At the same time, new technologies, different problems of a new world, space discovery and colonization, global mobility, green energy, etc. will open up new jobs.

Who would think of life coaching as a profession 500 years ago?

This type of AI is one that depends on human programming. Even if we automate the software programming part of it, it will still be an area designed by humans.

We will get whatever we program for because this type of AI is intelligent but not conscious. If we create terminators, we will watch them kill many people in the world, including the good and innocent people too.

If we create robots with AI that can build a Moonbase from scratch for people to go and start a life there, then that is a positive use of AI. We, humans, will decide what AI is for and ANI will do they are meant to do.

This technology helps us run cross-functional and inter-disciplinary checks in the health industry and more to come with ideas. It also helps as a mistake-proofing method. Modern surgeries can be much more accurate than any human can operate. We can reduce bias in the judiciary.

It is possible to produce products at a lower cost and must better quality and deliver than faster than ever to the customers. We can build much better cars and machinery by precise automation.

This type of AI is no harm, but the minds who program them could be a danger because such AI lacks consciousness.

The rule is simple — garbage in garbage out, good in good out.

2. ARTIFICIAL GENERAL INTELLIGENCE (AGI)

Now we are in the risky domain because this is where AI develops consciousness. We call it a risk because we do not know what may happen if AI becomes conscious. Interestingly, we cannot even describe what consciousness is, and thus science calls this a tough problem.

What is consciousness? How does it emerge or develop?
Can intelligence cause consciousness to arise? If yes, how? What is the process, and why does it happen? Can we formulate the process and develop consciousness in AI?

What is thinking? Could thinking be limited to rational decision making only? Is logic enough to call a machine conscious?
What about creativity and improvisation? How is it related to consciousness? If there is any? Could they exist without consciousness?

Where is consciousness, in the body or in spirit? If in the body, is it in the brain or the heart, or is it in the whole body resulting from the total cellular activity?
Are emotions proof of being conscious? Is a being without emotions unconscious?

Unfortunately, science does not have answers to all these questions. More answers are there waiting for your deliberate review, evaluation, analysis, synthesis, and inquiry.

If we cannot even describe consciousness, why are we afraid of AI with consciousness?

We are afraid of the unknown, first of all. We call ourselves conscious but look at the world, the suffering, the never-ending political battles, power games, conflicts, battles, and wars to dominate vital resources.

We fear AI to look like its creators. God created us in His likeliness, but we try to play God, and we do not know what will happen. How pathetic?

Haven`t we rebelled against His power and even killed, tortured, stoned, crucified His messengers? Instead of gratitude for what we are given, aren`t we still asking for more and refusing Creation? We are afraid of AGI to do the same to us when it develops consciousness. Even worse, we are afraid of ourselves, our dark side.

Moreover, AGI does not have to be like us and can decide that its creators, humans, are the illness, like a virus. We fear AGI to see the truth and come up with a solution we do not like. AGI may change things we resist to change, and we may not like it.

While we can control ANI and make it serve our lightest and darkest dreams, AGI is uncontrollable, just like any human with free will.

Our emotions can free or enslave us, but AGI without emotions will see things in a different perspective with a mind not clouded by the games of the ego. We are afraid of that.

We have not yet build AGI and do not even know what it will look like. AGI could still not be a threat unless it becomes an ASI.

3. ARTIFICIAL SUPER INTELLIGENCE (ASI)

Third and last is artificial super-intelligence (ASI), which is AI with super-human powers and abilities.

Imagine AI developing consciousness miraculously and then learning everything very quickly like a sponge swallowing all the water in the oceans on Earth. It will possess all the knowledge and will be able to control every technology like their master.

Even beyond that, ASI`s super-intelligence powered further with consciousness will discover everything science can find, everything philosophy can offer, and everything religions can unveil. The technological limits of knowledge would be reached.

This technological zenith is called Singularity. Here comes a Superman disguised in ASI. No one can stop it. It can even try to become a god. Who knows?

No one knows what ASI can do to humans with so much power. ASI does not even need a physical body to live and to evolve. It can transcend the need for a physical body and travel beyond the known limits of physical space.

Does the paragraph above look funny or weird? Don`t laugh folks because many scientists are thinking of such scenarios and more.

Let`s get back to our original question. Will Artificial Intelligence Rule The World and Enslave Humans?

I personally do not think so, but no one can tell. If there is one thing clear to me, we must continue working on it and be mindful of our choices. The bigger risk lies in creating new weapons of mass destruction and mind control that would result in power elites enslaving humans and forcing the ones without power to bow down.

Let us know ourselves first and follow our curiosity in line with our ethical codes, values, conscience.

Suppose one day; the universe decides that the time of Homo-Sapiens is over for new humankind, either as Homo-Noeticus or Homo-Deus or Homo-Machinus. In that case, we have to live with it just like our Cro-Magnon ancestors.

Cheers,

Kenan