Celebrated author Yuval Noah Harari has said that AI has “hacked” the operating system of human civilization.
Artificial intelligence is shaking up the world. While experiments and research in this sub-field of computer science have been ongoing for decades, the recent launch of OpenAI’s powerful chatbot ChatGPT seems to be a seminal point in the timeline of AI technologies. The chatbot’s astounding abilities have led many companies to try their hands at developing their own chatbots or even integrating similar AI in their products and services.
Since time immemorial, new technologies or innovations have witnessed fear and awe before they were embraced by mankind. Most new inventions have been met with shock and apprehension, with many either hailing them or downright condemning them. The ongoing AI wave is no different. While many have heaped praise on it, there is scepticism in equal measure.
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Yuval Noah Harari, known for the acclaimed non-fiction book Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind, in his latest article in The Economist, has said that artificial intelligence has “hacked” the operating system of human civilization. The Israeli public intellectual has been known for his comments on the opportunities and threats from AI in recent times.
The root of the fear
In his latest article, he argues that the fear of AI has haunted humanity ever since the beginning of the computer age. However, he said that the newly emerged AI tools in recent years could threaten the survival of human civilization from an “unexpected direction.”
He demonstrated how AI could impact culture by talking about language, which is integral to human culture. “Language is the stuff almost all human culture is made of. Human rights, for example, aren’t inscribed in our DNA. Rather, they are cultural artifacts we created by telling stories and writing laws. Gods aren’t physical realities. Rather, they are cultural artifacts we created by inventing myths and writing scriptures,” wrote Harari.
He stated that democracy is also a language that dwells on meaningful conversations, and when AI hacks language it could also destroy democracy.
The author said that the rise of AI is having a profound impact on society, affecting various aspects of economics, politics, culture, and psychology. The 47-year-old wrote that the biggest challenge of the AI age was not the creation of intelligent tools but striking a collaboration between humans and machines.
To highlight the extent of how AI-driven misinformation can change the course of events, Harari touched upon the cult QAnon, a political movement affiliated with the far-right in the US. QAnon disseminated misinformation via “Q drops” that were seen as sacred by followers.
AI and the power of intimacy
Harari also shed light on how AI could form intimate relationships with people and influence their decisions. “Through its mastery of language, AI could even form intimate relationships with people and use the power of intimacy to change our opinions and worldviews,” he wrote. To demonstrate this, he cited the example of Blake Lemoine, a Google engineer who lost his job after publicly claiming that the AI chatbot LaMDA had become sentient. According to the historian, the controversial claim cost Lemoine his job. He asked if AI can influence people to risk their jobs, what else could it induce them to do?
Harari also said that intimacy was an effective weapon in the political battle of minds and hearts. He said that in the past few years, social media has become a battleground for controlling human attention, and the new generation of AI can convince people to vote for a particular politician or buy a certain product.
The author drew parallels between present-day AI and the notions of the world of illusions by 17th-century philosopher Rene Descartes and the idea of Maya from Buddhist and Hindu sages. Highlighting the need for regulations, Harari cited the example of nuclear energy, stating that while it could produce cheap power, it could also destroy human civilization. However, over the years, we have reshaped the international order to ensure that nuclear technology is used for the collective good.
Regulation is key
In his bid to call attention to the need to regulate AI technology, Harari said that the first regulation should be to make it mandatory for AI to disclose that it is an AI. He said it was important to put a halt on ‘irresponsible deployment’ of AI tools in the public domain, and regulating it before it regulates us.
The author also shed light on the fact that how the current social and political systems are incapable of dealing with the challenges posed by AI. Harari emphasised the need to have an ethical framework to respond to challenges posed by AI.
The author has, on numerous occasions, shared his thoughts on the rapid developments in AI. In March, Harari wrote an op-ed in The New York Times discussing the rapid progress and implications of GPT-like chatbots and the future of human interactions. He argued that while GPT-3 had made remarkable progress, it was far from replacing human interactions. He also suggested that AI could lead to greater inequality, something which billionaire Bill Gates had alluded to in his blog post.
Source:indianexpress.com