5 notes for AI conversations

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is in the spotlight, and it's a topic you can't escape. Whether you're reading about it, writing on the subject, or engaged in conversations, AI has permeated our lives. In this discussion, I'd like to highlight five points that I believe are crucial for us to bear in mind as we navigate the myriad consequences.

#1 - AI doesn't recreate our human nature; instead, it accelerates existing trends. It's all about going faster, deeper, stronger, and wider. The words swirling around this topic are all about amplification. AI has the potential to touch every aspect of our lives, for better or for worse. This raises the question: Are there certain choices we should prioritize?

#2 - Don't lose sight of the human touch. Our brains have evolved over two million years, and they'll keep functioning as they always have. Emotions drive us, and fear is now pervasive, not because of the impending apocalypse, but because of our diminishing centrality. New technologies used to require special treatment to become more human-like. However, AI, at its core, is already imbued with human attributes. The fear of becoming obsolete is on the horizon. We must prepare for a world where humans may not see themselves as central figures, leading to attitudes of indifference, anger, and resistance.

#3 - AI mimics human intelligence but isn't human. Our thinking is intricately tied to emotions, not just feelings or memories, but the emotional fabric of our brains. AI lacks an organic body; it starts with blank data and calculates and mimics behaviors recorded somewhere. This gap is crucial. Humans have made attempts to mechanize their actions, often at the expense of our natural way of life. Rather than transforming ourselves into more machine-like beings, perhaps we should contemplate the idea of reembracing our original bodily and emotional experiences.

#4 - Intelligence, be it natural or artificial, is at the core of modernity. Intelligent objects have the potential to usher in a significant disappearance of visible machinery, from cars and banks to shops and screens. The implications for cities and institutions are intriguing. The tools we've created to solve everyday problems and enhance our capabilities might find new purposes as symbols, rituals, and metaphors. What lessons can we draw from ancient cities like Knossos, Athens, or Rome?

#5 - AI is a wellspring of creativity. It's fueling the rapid generation of new ideas that seem to have eternal life. In an environment teeming with an extensive gallery of ideas, the human experience is shaped. It prompts us to consolidate these ideas and construct systems that can bring them to a scale that resonates with the human mind. This is a call for deep thinking. A new breed of profound thinkers is in demand.

I'm delighted to share these thoughts with the assistance of my trusty AI co-pilot for grammar and style. It's worth noting that the ideas expressed here are entirely my own.

#ai #bigthinking #insights #creativity #urbanism