OT (off topic): On AI

by CEJames (researcher/author) & Akira Ichinose (editor/research assistant)

First off, I use it as a writing and research tool — much like Google Search, but with considerably more horsepower. That said, as a retired IT guy, I’ve come to realize that AI is and always will be flawed. Flawed, that is, in the same way we humans are — because regardless of how much we think and believe AI is autonomous and “intelligent,” it remains the creation of its flawed architect: the human being.

Think of it this way. Humans are subjected to all kinds of influences — from parents, family members, and others within their tribe — until those influences become permanently coded into who they are. It stands to reason, then, that the programmer and creator of AI, being a flawed parent figure, will inevitably carry those flaws into the code. Everyone who contributes to the system brings their own biases, blind spots, and limitations along for the ride.

So beware the AI. Those deeply ingrained flaws will come back to haunt us — much like the flawed individuals we’ve unwisely handed power to throughout history. In the end, we are only human. Flawed, fallible, and very much in charge of what we’ve built.