What’s inside?
When I was kindly approached to write a short article about AI, I was reminded of the strict guidelines we must adhere to be considered for publication: “Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. We will not publish any plagiarised content. Only limited use of LLMs is permitted for structure, grammar, and refining. Refrain from generating your articles using LLMs,” etc., etc.
Well, this article was not written by generative AI but by an actual human being. Although I may lack the speed, precision, and algorithmic efficiency of a generative AI companion like ChatGPT and its counterparts (or should that be other AIs like it?), readers will be getting the full and truthful insights of a human author. Whether anyone will side with me on my personal opinion regarding certain areas of Artificial Intelligence remains to be seen. I profess to be no expert on the subject of AI. Yet, I am an enthusiast and work in an industry where AI is beginning to have a profound impact—software for the construction industry. Or, as others might call it, the AEC industry (architecture, engineering, and construction).
There appears to be no question about the leaps and bounds artificial intelligence has continued to make over the recent years, and for that reason alone, the race to improve and enhance strong AI, or Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), captures the minds and imaginations of countless scientists, researchers, academicians, ethicists, business leaders, investors, and the general public alike. Strong AI demonstrates an extraordinary ability to first comprehend and learn—just like human beings—before applying intelligence across a wide spectrum of domains.
From what I have read, weak AI is a completely different kettle of fish, in terms of its creation and main objective, as it was only developed to perform specific assisted tasks. So, in my mind, it is understandable that human beings will always find a way to pursue the next great discovery. Thus, why not the next level of high-functioning AGI technology? We know man’s capacity for relentless obsession all too well, don’t we? We’ve seen such interest on a global scale in pop culture, films, comic books, and novels (Asimov and Philip K. Dick spring to mind).
Yet, what is humanity looking for in the pursuit of strong AI? Does it tickle the scientific imagination to envision a world where robots perform all the tasks humans don’t want to do themselves? Are we really that shallow? But I won’t get ahead of myself with the questioning. God knows this is a huge subject. So, let’s get into it.
Will these envisioned AGIs replace us at the office? Image Courtesy: Pixabay
Without a shadow of a doubt, Strong AI, or AGI, represents the next level of artificial intelligence. Although it has recently become normal for many of us to engage with limited AI applications on a daily basis—for example, Amazon Alexa, Netflix’s recommendation system, or Waymo (Alphabet/Google)—AGI would be expected to mimic the intellectual capabilities and adaptability of the human brain. However, from what I have read recently, even though dazzling progress has been made in the field of Artificial Intelligence, the creation of those Strong AI robots you may have seen in films like Ghost in the Machine, Robot is still very much a theoretical challenge. Why? Because this level of complexity, control, and sophistication is still far from being realised.
Understanding strong AI is one thing, but if we, as humans, are going to seriously consider the potential benefits of such society-changing technology, then surely, we must first understand that the process will be vast and transformative. One area where AGI might make an immediate impact is the healthcare sector. Imagine if AGI could perform diagnostics and personalised treatments. What if strong AI could accelerate medical research to possibly cure diseases that have long been the bane of mankind? Then there’s the transport sector. It wouldn’t be hard to envision AGI controlling and optimising traffic flow, enhancing public transport systems, and making autonomous vehicles much safer and more efficient.
Of course, the more you think about it, AGI might even evolve to play pivotal roles in solving the great challenges that humanity currently faces, such as the reversal of climate change and global warming, poverty, crime, critical overpopulation, as well as health and diet. Now, I am not exactly sure how AI would be applied, but here are a few possible scenarios:
Reversing Climate Change and Global Warming: AGI might be tasked with analysing huge amounts of climate data to predict and develop more accurate weather and climate models. It could also optimise sustainable agricultural practices, renewable energy sources, and carbon tracking technologies.
Could this be the future if we don’t tackle climate change?
Image Courtesy: Pexels.com
Alleviating Poverty: AGI could identify and weed out the many causes of poverty by analysing data relating to world socio-economic information. After such analysis, it could propose and predict ways to optimise resource allocation, determine effective regulations and policies, and support education and job training initiatives specifically designed to cater to the needs of different communities.
Reducing Crime: The concept of AGI supporting humans to solve the problem of global crime is both fascinating and impactful. Imagine a powerful AI assisting police authorities in predicting and even preventing criminal behaviour by processing and analysing vast amounts of criminal data and cross-referencing it with social factors. It might sound exaggerated, reminiscent of the Tom Cruise sci-fi movie “Minority Report,” but hey, anything is possible, right? Additionally, AGI could enhance crime prevention efforts by organising rehabilitation initiatives to prevent repeat offences and supporting community programmes aimed at uncovering ways to avoid crime.
Managing Overpopulation: Working in software sales and marketing, I could really see how strong AI could help in urban planning and the development of smart cities, ensuring efficient use of resources and infrastructure. It could also support family planning initiatives and healthcare services to balance population growth with available resources. Additionally, AGI might even be able to expertly improve the quality of human life by examining the capabilities of humans and enhancing them, thus creating novel techniques for education, creativity, and personal development.
Healthcare and Diet: Very much like analysing data for crime and weather, AGI could revolutionise healthcare by analysing medical data to determine the early onset of disease and personalise treatment plans. AGI could become the poster child for a healthier lifestyle. Advertisements could feature celebrity AI chefs offering personalised dietary recommendations, as well as tracking and advising on community nutritional intake.
Will AGI chefs become a thing in future human society?
Image Courtsey: Canva Premium
The more I think about it, the more questions I have. Even if a strong AI did possess self-awareness and consciousness, who gets to determine whether they should be allocated the same rights and protections that we apply to humans today? Societal governments? Or the people? Do the people get to vote on such legislation?
I hope so.
One thing is for sure: humanity, especially academia and historians, will have to rethink and reconsider our definitions of life, intelligence, and personhood for the betterment of us all. If such advanced robotic sentient technology evolves, we will have to consider its moral status. Needless to say, the impact on our lives will be forever changed. If we one day vote in favour of integrating AGI into our lives, we must ensure that the process is carefully managed, as there is a possibility it could diminish our humanity.
Can you imagine sharing a world with an AGI? Image Courtesy: Canva Premium
To say that the road to AGI is fraught with all kinds of dangers and challenges would be an understatement. So, if we’re not going to discuss the giant elephant in the room, then I will. What do I mean? Bear with me.
We’ve all seen the Matrix franchise, right? Well, there you have it—my primary concern. The potential loss of control over AGI systems is number one on my list. You might want to laugh at this—I do, too—but what if The Wachowskis’ sci-fi classic (at least the first two films) was a prelude to our future society? It would only take one strong AI to misalign with human values and objectives and act in a completely malign and inappropriate way for the consequences to be catastrophic. Perhaps a good area to focus on would be implementing security codes within these new sentient beings’ central processors and having them adhere to Isaac Asimov’s “Three Laws of Robotics.”
Furthermore, there is another area that I haven’t quite touched upon yet, and that is the ongoing cost of evolving strong AI. Do you ever stop to wonder about the sheer technical and scientific hurdles in developing AGI? Well, you don’t need me to tell you how immense it is. Just like with man’s obsession with the exploration of space, wouldn’t monies be better distributed to the immediate challenges third world nations have? That problem along with war seems, in my opinion, a better place to allocate trillions of dollars, pounds and yen. But hey, that’s my moral compass – and I am sure you will have your own.
In my humble opinion, developing and creating strong AI that can mimic the cognitive capabilities of humans will require enormous leaps in our understanding of AI intelligence, learning, and self-awareness. Even among those closely watching the continued development of this technology, there are deep concerns about the socio-economic impacts of AGI, such as job displacement and increasing inequality. These concerns must be addressed, as they might lead to societal disruption.
So, what is humanity truly seeking in the pursuit of strong AI? I’m not sure. It is a bit tricky when one has a personal opinion. For example, if you had asked me the same question when I was a kid, I might have said that it would be cool to have a robot that did all the work around the house, did my homework, and let me watch cartoons on a TV centred in its chest way into the early hours while my parents slept. But ask me the same question today, with what I know about the world, and I’d have to say I simply don’t know how I feel about the pursuit of strong AI.
I suppose, at its core, this mission that humanity is on for AGI reflects our deepest desires. Hasn’t the pursuit of knowledge, immortality, and the betterment of human society been around since we were able to walk upright? I imagine that by creating AGI, humanity is looking—hoping—to unlock new dimensions of understanding and capability. However, in all honesty, it might all come down to humanity questioning its own existence in a cold and lonely universe.
So, after all that I have addressed in this article—how do I conclude? Well, it’s obvious that the potential for strong AI in our over-populated, burgeoning world is enormous, but so are the challenges and dangers its continued development presents.
As I mentioned before, we are not quite there yet when it comes to a highly sophisticated, complex, conscious AGI, but we are moving closer potentially every day, every month, every year to realising AGI. For this reason, it is critical—no, crucial—that humanity adopts an attitude that balances both the benefits and the ethical implications of living alongside strong AI. Ultimately, the journey towards strong AI is not just one of technological curiosity and intrigue, but potentially a deeper exploration of what it means to be human.
