Lately, I've been seeing a flood of posts online about AI. And you've got to love how, based on those conversations, no matter how the so-called "AI apocalypse" plays out, humans seem to get the short end of the stick:
- In the utopian/dystopian scenario where AI "succeeds" and ends up doing everything, we'd face massive layoffs and a humanitarian crisis that governments are nowhere near ready to handle.
- If AI fails to meet expectations and the bubble bursts, we'd likely see an economic crisis so large that, again, governments aren't ready for it.
I know these are extremely negative takes on the AI situation, and they're unlikely to happen because they represent extremes. But the space in between isn't exactly ideal either.
Even a sweet middle spot would cause significant energy and environmental challenges (some of which we're already seeing). Governments aren't ready to handle those either. Partly because the problem doesn't fall under a single nation's control, and partly because global leaders don't seem able to agree on how to tackle it together.
Still, I'm wary of the current situation. Things may eventually stabilize, but it won't be because of the tech companies or the leaders we have right now.
They have proven they don't understand (or care for) the challenges or repercussions of a technology they blindly embraced &emdash; in part because it comes wrapped in multimillion donations and investments.
Everything will work out in the end. Not because of today's leaders or tech giants, but because society will eventually demand accountability and solutions, and we need to act now: demanding legislation and guardrails that ensure AI develops sustainably for people, the environment, and the economy.
We are far from that point yet, and if we wait until crisis forces our hand, we'll be dangerously close to those extreme scenarios.