• BrianW
    999
    AI is the next resource humans will exhaust in their endless seeking and consumption of knowledge.

    In my previous discussion (https://thephilosophyforum.com/discussion/5754/silicon-based-natural-intelligence) I introduced the idea of intelligence being something about nature and which operates in and through humans but is not distinctly of them. That is, intelligence is not something humans created, rather it is something possessed by them by virtue of being a part of nature (of reality).

    In this discussion I would like to propagate another idea - what if AI isn't about the possibility of the existence of another being but about a better way for humans to operate intelligence. What I mean is this, for example, the invention of an abacus made it easier for us to perform simple arithmetic; also, the invention of any and all machines to date have not undone or depreciated our basic value as humans, rather they have helped us realise their intrinsic operation in our lives to a much superior degree than before their operation. Through them we have learned to be better at organisation, defining of activities, focus and concentration on goals, management of time and energy, etc. So, in the end, it's not about what our inventions, creations or discoveries are, but about what we will be after we grow past the level of progress that they symbolize.

    What I'm saying is - the internet is helping us be better connected to other humans such that it's now just a question of how we will interact with them. So, also, in the same way, I think AI will give us the opportunity to investigate, learn and better operate the quality we refer to as "intelligence". Because, so far, we have potential capacities that we do not know how to unlock and they are greatly dependent on our use of that "intelligence". And just as with the abacus, the calculator, the computer, the internet, etc, etc, I have no doubt that we will eventually surpass AI in our quest for greater revelations about ourselves.

    So, for me, AI is not about creating other beings, it's about working on intelligence with a view of overcoming our limitations. And, just to put things in perspective, could anyone imagine humans developing a better configuration of intelligence than nature has with us?
  • praxis
    6.2k
    I have no doubt that we will eventually surpass AI in our quest for greater revelations about ourselves.BrianW

    Unlikely. If or when AI is developed it will outpace us a thousandfold. With the speed of silicon transistors, vastly more simulations can be performed in the time it would take biological neurons.

    And, just to put things in perspective, could anyone imagine humans developing a better configuration of intelligence than nature has with us?

    Definitely, and AI may help to redesign itself.
  • BrianW
    999
    If or when AI is developed it will outpace us a thousandfold. With the speed of silicon transistors, vastly more simulations can be performed in the time it would take biological neurons.praxis

    If that were the case then computers, the internet and many other machines would have outpaced us too. Whatever AI will be, it will always be as defined and designated by its human creators and developers. Its characteristics, qualities, potential, ability, etc, etc, will be as determined by its human creators. Also, whatever AI does will be under the supervision of humans. AI is a human creation and will be limited to the human intelligence applied in its development. And even if it had the capacity to acquire and process more information than humans, its functionality and operation (processing) will depend on its programming. For example, AI can be programmed to re-programme itself, but only according to how a human thought possible. They will never be able to transcend the human limit of their creators and developers, not unless humans do it first.
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