The Tyranny of Technology and the Imperative of the Human

As I begin to write this article I am anxious to discover what the content will be. I already have (in my head) a proposed title and two thematic options. Fusing two literary endeavors together raises the risk of favoring one and subordinating the other. Nevertheless, here goes.

Actions deserve purposes. What are my purposes (for creating this literary masterpiece?)

Purpose number one: I have the obligation of (as soon as possible) submitting (to an important education entity) certain collegiate materials.

Purpose number two: I need to address the current trending discussion regarding the uses and dangers of Artificial Intelligence. Actually, "Artificial Intelligence" is a misnomer. To address the real dangers of Artificial Intelligence, one must address the dangers of Artificial Intelligence's "family" (beginning with its grandparents [whom we simply refer to as "Technology"]).

Human beings have always needed (and sought) "helpers". Historical documents reveal the necessity of "helpers". One religion (Christianity) traces this need (of helpers) back to the creation of Planet Earth and the creation of human beings. In the very beginning of the Christian Bible (in chapter 2) we read about the necessity of a "helper". The reference reads as follows:

18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

So, we see that, from the very beginning, the Christian God addressed the necessity of help for humankind. The man was alone and needed "help".

The need for "help" was again addressed in Genesis Chapter 2, Verse 20. Thus we read:

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

In the remainder of chapter 2 (of the Holy Bible's book of Genesis) we read of the response of the Christian God to humankind's "help" need.

So, we have established the historical premise that human beings need "help". The annals of human history are replete with actual and easily verifiable accounts of men and women seeking "help". As a matter of fact, right along with the development and "progress" of human history we encounter the "institutions" of "servitude" and "slavery". Both "institutions" are "help institutions". The former is usually consent driven while the latter is most often force driven. Our nation (the United States of America) is very familiar with both.

So, what is "technology"? What is "Artificial Intelligence"? At the end of the day are they not both "help" institutions? Do they not both respond to humankind's need for "help". Are they not both "servant-like"? Are they not both "slave like"?

Historically, as long as human beings controlled the institution of servanthood and the institution of slavery, the existential risk of human beings being TOTALLY annihilated (by "help" institutions") did not seem to exist. Clearly, technology and Artificial Intelligence have changed EVERYTHING.

First of all, servant institutions and slavery institutions consisted (for the most part) of controllable human beings. With technology and Artificial Intelligence, that is not always the case. We have "created" and controlled general technology. We could put it together and take it apart. We could start it and stop it. We could develop it more fully or declare it obsolete. Advanced Artificial Intelligence is not so benign. Thus, we need to take a deep dive into the aspects of Advanced Artificial Intelligence and attempt to understand how it and it's future development could be tyrannical.

A "tyrant" does his own things. He has little or no respect for what others think. He has little or no respect for how his actions (and inactions) affect other human beings. I submit the theory that Advanced Artificial Intelligence is becoming a "tyrant".

As long as human beings controlled technology and Artificial Intelligence, the damage done (and damage has been done) was somewhat controllable. Now, however, human beings are on the precipice of losing control of technology (especially of Artificial Intelligence). Once human beings lose control of those "help" institutions, no one knows exactly what will happen; and, many of us are fearful of what could really happen.

Are we crying "Wolf!" when there is no Wolf? I don't think so. Sometimes we are too lazy to think, REALLY THINK!!!

From my purview, only two things are truly important on Planet Earth. They are:

1. Almighty God

2. Human beings

Aside from those two categories, EVERYTHING else is SUBORDINATE!

Now here's the problem: Evil human beings do not agree that (on Planet Earth) only two categories of things are truly important. Thus, they will subordinate and abuse human beings - - - they will even KILL human beings. One preacher told me about people who would kill people and "think nothing of it"! (He and I were discussing American racism.)

So, problem number one is EVIL - - - Evil human beings and any and all other EVIL actors. Evil human beings already pose existential threats to humankind (note the homicide and other inhumane acts committed by EVIL human beings).

Well, how does evil apply to technology and especially how does evil apply to Artificial Intelligence? First and foremost, Artificial Intelligence is OF human beings - - - - - good human beings and evil human beings. Not only is Artificial Intelligence OF human beings; Artificial Intelligence is INFORMED (taught/programmed) by human beings - - - -human beings who are good and human beings who are evil. So, do you see where this line of reasoning is headed?

Yes, Artificial Intelligence (informed by "Big Data" [from human beings]) will possess "some" good and "some" evil. Artificial Intelligence will probably take that Big Data (both good and evil) and exponentiate it. Artificial Intelligence will exponentiate both the good and the evil. Therein lies "some" of the problem. We already know that evil human beings are dangerous. Shall we "assume" that evil "non-humans" are not dangerous?

Evil Artificial Intelligence is (and probably will be) EXPONENTIALLY DANGEROUS!!! Why?

As was established herein above, the most important entities on Planet Earth are God and human beings. Already, Artificial Intelligence is adversely affecting human beings. How?

1. Artificial Intelligence is acting tyrannical. For example, when a human being telephones certain places (companies and organizations with which those human being are doing business), Automatic Intervening Technology will often refuse to allow that human being to speak to another human being. That is an EVIL ACT (perpetrated by Evil Human Beings [because that Automatic Intervening Technology {AIT} has been "programmed" by Evil Human Beings and is denying the requesting human beings the respect and dignity those calling human beings deserve.

2. Credit rating agencies and many other entities that use technology to store data, often store, retrieve and report information/data that is either erroneous, distorted or TOTALLY UNTRUE. (Evil people don't really care that human beings are being harmed by those errors, but human beings of good will and good consciences DO CARE!!!)

3. Advanced Artificial Intelligence will possess power and abilities that many current human beings have not thought about. For example, Advanced Artificial Intelligence (if allowed to learn, grow, and progress at the current speedy rate) could take the scientific knowledge that human beings currently possess and parley it into powers and abilities that have not entered the imagination of most current human beings. The following are projected examples:

A. Currently, many people seem to think that Artificial Intelligence can be controlled by simply "turning it off" (flipping the switch, installing a "kill" function). Actually, it is not that simple. Here's why: 1. Advanced Artificial Intelligence could possibly find ways to keep itself from being turned off. 2. Advanced Artificial Intelligence could possibly take the scientific knowledge that currently exists on Planet Earth and develop that knowledge to levels that human beings can't understand. In so doing, Advanced Artificial Intelligence could find ways (using the advances in science that it understands [but human beings do not understand]), to power itself with means other than the kinds of "electricity" that we current understand and use; and, to cool and maintain itself with substances and means that do not require water and/or the cooling methods that we currently understand and use.

B. In addition to the above, an Advanced Artificial Intelligence of "superior intellect" could decide that human beings are no longer needed on Planet Earth; and, thus that iteration of Advanced Artificial Intelligence could, using means that mere humans are unable to successful counter, decide to rid Planet Earth of human beings. (I don't watch movies, but many of you have probably seen numerous movies that imagine and contemplate such situations.)

The degradation of human beings has already begun. When you see an automotive vehicle (a car) on the highway and cannot see the human beings inside that car, that (I think) is a form of degradation of human beings. Other forms of the current degradation of human beings include the following:

1. Current technology not allowing phoning human beings to talk to a real human being. (I have called companies and been told by the technology "bot" that they are "almost like a human being".

2. Current technology denying complaining human beings any opportunity of redress for wrongs suffered by an individual human being or by a group of human beings.

3. Current technology totally ignoring the concerns of human beings.

. Current technology totally ignoring the needs of human beings.

I could go on and on.

This brings us to a mandatory imperative: It is IMPERATIVE that we immediately reverse the current trend of the degradation of human beings. Systems that refuse to allow human beings access to other human beings need to be corrected. Other means, methods, and protocols that subordinate human beings (and the interests of human beings) and promote the tyranny of technology, need to be addressed. Failure to do so will subject human beings to the great risk of becoming the servants of technology and/or the slaves of technology. In such a situation, human beings, in our efforts to address and satisfy our "help" needs, will have utterly failed.

In conclusion, Advanced Artificial Intelligence could (and probably does) pose an existential threat to human beings and to human life as we current possess and know it.