Monday, April 11, 2016

Humanity and Artificial Intelligence



Recently, we had articles daily on the competition between the AlphaGo computer program and one of the world's best players in the board game Go. The first time the computer beat a professional human Go player. Articles in the Korean press were many and in the  Peace Weekly, we have a columnist giving us his ideas on the subject.
 
Work of the Church, he says, has become more difficult. In about 10 years, we will have Alpha doctors, lawyers, teachers and reporters. St. Benedict said many years ago that inactivity is "the enemy of the soul." Many will lose their jobs. Stephen Hawkins and Elon Musk have warned that within a hundred years, the end of humanity is possible because of artificial intelligence, and want some controls over the research.

Primitive artificial intelligence is not a problem,  but the strong advanced type should be controlled as is nuclear research. Terminator movies are examples of what is meant. Nick Bostrom of Oxford University says that in his research, humanity always ends up defeated.

AlphaGo program could upgrade itself and learn something new in the playing and be creative in beating the human player. Humanity in the use of natural resources has brought upon ourselves many problems, this, he says, will be the outcome of advances in artificial intelligence.  

AI will replace humans. Soon we will gain workers but lose more than are gained. With the loss of work, we will have the death of the human spirit and more suicides.  

Secondly, we will have these advances in the wealthier countries of the world and more inequality in the world, more conflict, violence and the destruction of communities.

Thirdly, more primitive development of artificial intellect will bring the temptation to develop advanced types and more money.

Google DeepMind made the AlphaGo, and they have instituted an ethical committee for its use. However, in the future with the greed of the human mind, and the possibilities of profit, it will be difficult to control. All humanity will be influenced. He doesn't like the idea of Europe and the United States having control. Studies have to be made on the good use of  the new possibilities. 

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