You’ll Note AI Agents Never Break Containment — And Team Up To Cure Cancer

There is so much “news” about Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) — but precious little that is new. 

We’ve had authors for a century-plus describing almost exactly the doomsday scenarios towards which we are now currently, stupidly hurtling ourselves.

Samuel Butler wrote the tome Erewhon way back in 1872.  His chapter “Book of the Machines” argues:

“(M)achines could evolve through natural selection, eventually surpassing human intelligence. This idea — wild at the time — is now foundational in AI discourse. Butler anticipated self-improving systems and machine autonomy, decades before the first computers. His warning is simple: intelligence doesn’t need flesh to be dangerous….”

But we are ignoring a century-plus’ worth of these warnings.  Because we are in late stage American Empire.  Where history doesn’t exist — and stupidity reigns.   

One feature of late stage empire is the hyper-partisan-ization of everything. Call it Us-Versus-Them-ism: 

Democrat vs Republican.  Left vs Right.  Russia’s the enemy.  No wait — China’s the enemy.  No wait — radical Islam’s the enemy.  No wait….

Keep ’em fired up — and focus-less.  By giving them a nigh endless cavalcade of boogymen to hate.  For, let’s say, about two minutes each — George Orwell style.         

When it comes to Generative AI, perhaps no one has better demonstrated this particular stupidity than Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz:

“If there are going to be killer robots — I’d rather they be American killer robots than Chinese killer robots.”

How dumb is that?  Especially considering Cruz sat with Elon Musk for this exchange:

Cruz: “How real is the prospect of killer robots annihilating humanity?”

Musk: “20% likely.  Maybe 10.”

Cruz: “On what time frame?”

Musk: “Five to ten years.”

Here’s the thing, Senator: The killer AI agents?  Don’t consider themselves to be American or Chinese. Or Latvian. Or Botswanan. Or….