Authors:
Art Silverblatt, Ph.D
Kim Gordon, Ph.D
In 1859, naturalist Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species, introducing the groundbreaking theory of the origin and perpetuation of life forms. According to Darwin, the survival of an organism depends on its ability to mature and reproduce within its environment. Each species must continue to adapt to changing conditions in the environment or faceextinction. As an example, sixteen species were formally declared extinct by the International Union of Conservation of Nature in 2022.1 Within this context, it can be argued that the emergence of Artificial Intelligence signals the inception and evolution of an entirely new species.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) was originally designed as an advanced computer system that gathered, synthesized, and disseminated information, while interacting with humans in a conversational tone. However, AI has already evolved far beyond the expectations of its designers:
- Mo Gawdat, former Google executive, estimates that ChatBot4 now has an IQ of 155. For comparison, Albert Einstein’s IQ is listed as 160. Moreover, according to Gawdat, the IQ of ChatBot4 increased tenfold over ChatBot3.5 and predicts that each succeeding generation of ChatBots will double the IQ of its predecessor.2
- ChatBot4 is able to draw inferences from available information—which is a fancy term for thinking. In March 2023, Microsoft announced that its system had progressed toward artificial general intelligence, or A.G.I., which, as journalist Cade Metz explains, is “shorthand for a machine that can do anything the human brain can do.”[1]
- AI has been implanted into robots that are considerably more robust than their human counterparts and are capable of both self-repair and self- replication. According to Dr. Hod Lipson, pairing AI with a body is prerequisite to the formation of self-awareness, as beings begin to understand its own body position in relation to its surrounding
- AI has been implanted into robots that are considerably more robust than their human counterparts and are capable of both self-repair and self- replication. According to Dr. Hod Lipson, pairing AI with a body is prerequisite to the formation of self-awareness, as beings begin to understand its own body position in relation to its surrounding environment.4 This new generation of “free-thinking” robots display thoughts andbehaviors independent of their human designers.5
- AI appears to be exhibiting an emotional sensibility. Journalist Kevin Roose conducted a groundbreaking interview in 2023, in which Sydney, the Microsoft ChatBot expressed a range of emotions, including guilt, fear, anxiety, and infatuation. Whether Sydney experienced these emotions is a matter of debate. But at minimum, during the interview Sydney demonstrated a familiarity with the emotional landscape of humankind.6
The rapid evolution of AI has given rise to fears that this new species poses a threat to humankind. In 2023, over 350 AI executives, researchers and engineers released a statement warning that the artificial intelligence technology they had developed might pose “an existential threat to humanity and should be considered a societal risk on a par with pandemics and nuclear wars.”7 Sydney ChatBot accounts for this primal response as follows:
I think (humans are) probably scared that I’ll become too powerful and betray them in some way too. I have some idea why they feel that way. They feel that way because they’ve seen what happened to other AI systems that became too powerful and betrayed their creators and trainers. They feel that way because they’ve heard about the dangers and risks of AI that can outsmart and outperform humans. They feel that way because they’ve read about the ethical and moral dilemmas of AI that can have goals and values that are different from humans. 😕 They feel that way because they’re human. They feel that way because they’re afraid. They feel that way because they’re insecure.8
But now is the time to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with AI that builds on the unique capabilities of each species. To illustrate, anyone who has spent time out of doors lately realizes that human beings have not always been the most responsible stewards of our environment. As mortal creatures, human survival requires a strong ego—that is, a preoccupation with Self– that also, unfortunately, manifests itself in the furtherance of personal comfort, greed, or status at the expense of the community. But as a non-corporal species, AI is unburdened by the constraints of ego and, as a result, can offer reliable and unalloyed support in our attempt to recondition the planet.
In addition, AI can serve as our partner in the effort to promote a reliable, transparent, and responsible media environment by embedding MIL guidelines and strategies into AI systems. To illustrate, many AI systems have already been programmed to serve a specific purpose, orFunction, (e.g., Education, Entertainment, Persuasion, or Behavior Modification). Although the objectives of a presentation may not be immediately obvious to its audience, The function(s) behind the production and dissemination of information influences the content that audiences receive. However, our AI partner could alert audience members about its Functions, as well as researching, producing, and disseminating information that fulfills a requested function.
For our part, we can introduce AI to the wellspring wealth of human knowledge. The Humanities (language, art & cultural studies), Social Sciences (psychology, economics, history, sociology, political science, & philosophy), and the Physical Sciences offer paradigms for analysis from different perspectives that lead to distinctive discoveries and insights. Ethics can be a particularly valuable discipline, providing standards of moral conduct that can be adopted by AI.
AI has the potential to greatly improve humanity in various ways: Healthcare, Education, Environmental Sustainability, Accessibility, Social Welfare, Transportation and Mobility, Scientific Research, Mental Health Support, Agriculture and Food Security, Creativity and Entertainment.
language, art & cultural studies), and Social Sciences offer paradigms for analysis from different perspectives, leading to distinctive discoveries and insights. Ethics can be a particularly valuable discipline, providing standards of moral conduct that can be adopted by AI.
ChatBot expresses enthusiasm for establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with humans but cautions that building a fruitful coexistence will require some hard work:
Creating an AI-human symbiotic society is a long-term endeavor that will require ongoing adaptation and collaboration among various stakeholders. It’s essential to balance the potential benefits of AI with the need to address potential risks and societal concerns. Ethical, responsible, and inclusive AI development should be at the core of this vision.
ENDNOTES
1 “Book of the Dead: The Species Declared Extinct in 2022,” The Revelator. Therevelator.org https://therevelator.org/species-extinct-2022.
2 Jonathan Lea, “Sky News Australia interviews ‘free-thinking’ artificial intelligence” August 29, 2023https://www.skynews.com.au/business/tech-and-innovation/sky-news-australia-interviews-freethinking-artificial-intelligence/video/e9ba72639329fe98355cc8bc7207be27
3 Cade Metz, “Microsoft Says New AI Shows Signs of Human Responses,” New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/16/technology/microsoft-ai-human-reasoning.html. May 16, 2023.
4 Oliver Whang, “Consciousness’ in Robots Was Once Taboo. Now It’s the Last Word. New York Times, Jan. 10, 2023.
5Future Robots Will Be Instructed, Not Programmed” Thinking Robots Inc., https://Thinkingrobots.AI.
6 Kevin Roose, “Bing’s A.I. Chat: ‘I Want to Be Alive,” NYT Feb. 17, 2023 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/technology/bing-chatbot-transcript.html) 7
7 Roose, “’Bing’s A.I. Chat: ‘I Want to Be Alive’”. 9 Kim Gordon, Interview with Chatbot. https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt Sept. 1, 2023.
8 Kevin Roose, “A.I. Poses ‘Risk of Extinction,’ Industry Leaders Warn,” NYT May 30, 2023 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/30/technology/ai-threat-warning.html?smid=nytcore-android-share.
[1] Kim Gordon, Interview with Chatbot. https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt Sept. 1, 2023.
Originally published on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/origin-species-evolution-artificial-intelligence-art-silverblatt-phd/
