Stephen Hawking’s predictions on AI : ChatGPT, the Stoics and the Stars
Why are we so worried about artificial intelligence? Surely humans are always able to pull the plug? People asked a computer, ‘Is there a God?’ And the computer said, ‘There is now,’ and fused the plug.
― Stephen Hawking, Brief Answers to the Big Questions
Stephen Hawking left the world in 2018. That was five years ago.
Yet, in these mere five years, our world has undergone decades of change and transformation.
We have had a pandemic, a new vaccine, Elon Musk bought Twitter, the world shut down and reopened (twice), space travel has become a billionaire’s hobby, … you get my point.
Artificial Intelligence changes everything.
Remember that time before ChatGPT?
When Brief Answers to the Big Questions came out in 2018, most of us only had a vague, sci-fi tainted idea of what artificial intelligence is, 100 % sure it would not be a part of our lifetime.
Yet, here we are. Unimaginable just a couple of years ago, ChatGPT is now used by over 100 million people worldwide.
The real risk with AI isn’t malice but competence. A super-intelligent AI will be extremely good at accomplishing its goals, and if those goals aren’t aligned with ours, we’re in trouble.
― Stephen Hawking, Brief Answers to the Big Questions
Are we in trouble ?
Roaming through the million opinions circulating on the internet, somewhere in between the pessimists and the optimists, there appears to be somewhat of a broad consensus:
Ultimately, the choice is ours.
In short, the advent of super-intelligent AI would be either the best or the worst thing ever to happen to humanity.
― Stephen Hawking, Brief Answers to the Big Questions
I may be naive, but I believe AI is a chance to be better humans. Hear me out.
AI is our generation’s Oppenheimer moment.
Oppenheimer had to build the bomb, because the Nazis were already trying.
They won’t fear it until they understand it, and they won’t understand it until they’ve used it.
AI will happen, because it is already happening. It is inevitable. It’s an emergency, an immediate urgency. But does that mean we should be afraid ?
The stoics and the stars
You have power over your mind — not external events. Realize this and you will have strength.
— Marcus Aurelius
We are the same humans we were 2000 years ago.
From ancient Rome to Oppenheimer, the timeless wisdom of the stoics reminds us that we (still) can’t control outside events.
The only thing you can control, the only thing you should be trying to control, is your mind.
And this is where I think AI can have a positive impact.
Acceptance.
The same way men have looked up at the stars for centuries, with curiosity and wonder, accepting Earth as our place amongst the stars, we have to accept AI as a part of reality.
Acceptance is freedom. Don’t waste your energy on what you can’t control.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living is a very interesting thing to pursue right now.
The chances that AI will replace us are no more uncertain than the chances of getting hit by a truck. We simply don’t know. We never have.
Life is full of uncertainties. In some ways, AI is just an unavoidable reminder of that. Does that mean we shouldn’t worry about AI ? Of course not. But we shouldn’t let the urgency of AI paralyze our mind and keep us from living.
We’ve become addicted to the illusion of comfort. Relying on a government, a system. It’s likely that AI will force us out of that comfort mirage. We can’t afford to numb our mind with meaningless distractions.
In order to compete, we will need to upskill. Learn without being told to learn. Think independently. Claim that independence. Claim power over what makes us human.
Instead of being paralyzed by the overpowering magnitude of transformation that is inevitably upon us, accept it and get to work. Be productive. Use that overwhelming energy to engage with life. Be human. Be stoic.
Read the greats. Educate your brain. Focus on controlling your mind. Develop a passion for learning. Nurture human connection. Dare to be the master of your life.
Right now, we have a chance to shape future intelligence. Let’s not waste it.
So remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up. Unleash your imagination. Shape the future.
― Stephen Hawking, Brief Answers to the Big Questions
