They speak a cult-like language.
A lot of that world has operated using the tool of mystification in the way the medieval church did. They present themselves as the guardians of Godlike machinery that only they can explain to the world and that they are engaged in a mission that involves the possible salvation of human civilization.
If AI truly poses a threat, how can they expect us to place our hopes in its creators?
From their long-termer point of view, the prospect for the future lives of billions and billions of as-yet-unborn humans involves escaping the earth, founding colonies on other planets. We need artificial intelligence to attain escape velocity from the planet, to build the spaceships, to found the colonies. So, sure, the eight billion of us alive today, it's possible we might all die in the course of building that, but if it’s not built, the infinite billions of the future will never be born.
In your book, you make it quite clear that technological progress began with the ability to count and measure, was reinforced by its ability to make forecasts into the future, and it ended up controlling everything, including thought. What do you think we can now do as citizens to further democracy?
It’s important to find ways to participate in civil society and democratic governance that are not mediated by the machinery of the artificial state.
I think that being deliberate and purposeful about when and where you participate is important. There are a lot of organizations that are springing up that are demanding that elected representatives respond more to people’s preferences in this regard instead of nodding along and saying, “Oh, well, in the US case, AI is really propping up our entire economy.” Congress is unwilling to do anything to stand in its way for that reason, but more than 70% of Americans want Congress to do something.
Originally published by Vanity Fair Italy
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