14.1 AI on the Rise
289
Others think we would genetically modify humans and upgrade them biologically
to stay competitive.
23 Genetic manipulation might also extend life spans considerably
(at least for those who can afford it). However, in a so-called “over-populated world”
this would increase the existential pressure on others, which brings us back to the
life and death decisions mentioned before and, actually, to the highly problematic
subject of eugenics.
24
Overall, it appears to many technology visionaries that humans as we know them
today would not continue to exist much longer. All those arguments, however, are
based on the extrapolation of technological trends of the past into the future, while
we may also experience unexpected developments, for example, something like “networked thinking”—or even an ability to perceive the world beyond our own body,
thanks to the increasingly networked nature of our world. (“Links” are expected
to become more important than the system components they connect, thereby also
changing our perception of our world.)
14.1.4 Is AI Really Intelligent?
The above expectations may also be wrong for another reason: perhaps the extrapolations are based on wrong assumptions. Are humans and robots comparable at all,
or did we fall prey to our hopes and expectations, to our definitions and interpretations, to our approximations and imitations? Computers process information, while
humans think and feel. But is it actually the same? Or do we compare apples and
oranges?
Are todays robots and AI systems really autonomous to the degree humans are
autonomous? I would say “no”, at least the systems that are publicly known still
depend a lot on human maintenance and external resources provided by humans.
Are today’s AI systems capable of emotions? I would say “no”. Changing color
when gently touching the head of a robot, as “Pepper” does, has nothing to do with
emotions. Being able smile or look surprised or angry, or being able to read our
mimics is also not the same as “feeling” emotions. And sex robots, I would say, are
neither able to feel love nor to love humans or other living beings. They can just
“make love”, i.e. make sex and talk as if they would have emotions. But this is not
the same as having emotions, e.g. feeling pain.
Are today’s AI systems creative? I would say “hmmm”. Yes, we know AI systems
that can mix cocktails and can generate music that sounds similar to Bach or any
other composer, or create “paintings” that look similar to a particular artist’s body of
work. However, these creations are, in a sense, variations of a lot of inputs that have
been fed into the system before. Without these inputs, I do not expect those systems
23 The Power to Upgrade Your Own Biology Is in Sight—But Is Society Ready for Human Enhancement? Singularity Hub (February 15, 2018) https://singularityhub.com/2018/02/15/the-power-toupgrade-our-biology-and-the-ethics-of-human-enhancement/.
24 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transhumanism.
289
Others think we would genetically modify humans and upgrade them biologically
to stay competitive.
23 Genetic manipulation might also extend life spans considerably
(at least for those who can afford it). However, in a so-called “over-populated world”
this would increase the existential pressure on others, which brings us back to the
life and death decisions mentioned before and, actually, to the highly problematic
subject of eugenics.
24
Overall, it appears to many technology visionaries that humans as we know them
today would not continue to exist much longer. All those arguments, however, are
based on the extrapolation of technological trends of the past into the future, while
we may also experience unexpected developments, for example, something like “networked thinking”—or even an ability to perceive the world beyond our own body,
thanks to the increasingly networked nature of our world. (“Links” are expected
to become more important than the system components they connect, thereby also
changing our perception of our world.)
14.1.4 Is AI Really Intelligent?
The above expectations may also be wrong for another reason: perhaps the extrapolations are based on wrong assumptions. Are humans and robots comparable at all,
or did we fall prey to our hopes and expectations, to our definitions and interpretations, to our approximations and imitations? Computers process information, while
humans think and feel. But is it actually the same? Or do we compare apples and
oranges?
Are todays robots and AI systems really autonomous to the degree humans are
autonomous? I would say “no”, at least the systems that are publicly known still
depend a lot on human maintenance and external resources provided by humans.
Are today’s AI systems capable of emotions? I would say “no”. Changing color
when gently touching the head of a robot, as “Pepper” does, has nothing to do with
emotions. Being able smile or look surprised or angry, or being able to read our
mimics is also not the same as “feeling” emotions. And sex robots, I would say, are
neither able to feel love nor to love humans or other living beings. They can just
“make love”, i.e. make sex and talk as if they would have emotions. But this is not
the same as having emotions, e.g. feeling pain.
Are today’s AI systems creative? I would say “hmmm”. Yes, we know AI systems
that can mix cocktails and can generate music that sounds similar to Bach or any
other composer, or create “paintings” that look similar to a particular artist’s body of
work. However, these creations are, in a sense, variations of a lot of inputs that have
been fed into the system before. Without these inputs, I do not expect those systems
23 The Power to Upgrade Your Own Biology Is in Sight—But Is Society Ready for Human Enhancement? Singularity Hub (February 15, 2018) https://singularityhub.com/2018/02/15/the-power-toupgrade-our-biology-and-the-ethics-of-human-enhancement/.
24 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transhumanism.