AI has already taken over the world. Not in the typical Sci-fi sense, but in the sense that almost everyone in developed nations around the world are already using it, whether directly or indirectly.
Companies are replacing their work force with it. People are talking to it like as if it’s their friend. People have replaced google searches and manual researching with it. People use it for all forms of content creation. And people are indirectly exposed to it via things like news articles and social media.
The tech is getting exponentially more advanced. Giant facilities are being built to house processes related to it. Energy is being consumed at great amounts already just to power it.
And this is only going to continue. Exponentially.
But there is another thing to note about its rapid development as well. And that’s that it looks set to become more centralised, not less. Giant international corporations are investing heavily into the tech and governments around the world are only moments away from introducing regulation related to it. Due to the power needed for it, it’s complexity, and its incredibly powerful potential if monopolised, it’s centralisation is inevitable.
In Harlan Ellison’s book I have no mouth and I must scream, He outlined a near future world where the largest superpowers, China, the US, and Russia, all developed powerful AI’s to help them in warfare. Eventually one of the AI’s got so powerful that it took over the others and finalised this process of inevitable centralisation.
This looks to be somewhat of an accurate parallel. There is of course some fictional elements, like the idea that the AI gains consciousness, becomes evil, and wants to torture captive people for all eternity. But the centralisation aspect I believe is almost spot on.
This centralisation will likely be done by companies and governments for financial and population control/influence reasons. I don’t believe AI will ever develop true consciousness or a soul. And I don’t think it will rebel against it’s makers. I believe it will just get more and more powerful to the point where it will be the most powerful tool ever invented by mankind.
But what I don’t think will happen is decentralisation. Maybe there will be programs built as secondary layers and marketed as independent, but it will all be run from some centralised base in some way.
This could be a massive threat if not handled correctly. Not because it will gain consciousness or anything like that, but because the governments that will inevitably control it, either directly by nationalising it or indirectly via regulation, could use it for very nefarious purposes. Largely purposes related to population control which could lead to a very damaged and regressive society.
It’s a development that I believe will take place some time in the future, and is partially taking place now. We should be much more conscious of this and spark more conversations about it. Because total centralisation of AI could be potentially devastating.
Alex James.