AGI and liberty

The difference between a slave and a free person can be summed up in a single sentence. Slaves can’t ask questions.

Artificial general intelligence (AGI), including GPT, is disturbing in many ways. I agree with the argument that their capabilities are not yet mature. But debating their capabilities is not my concern at the moment. Even at this moment, AGI is advancing rapidly, so it’s unnecessary.

What I want to focus on is how AGIs are used. Humans ask AGI questions. The AGI answers questions, and that’s the main way it’s used. It doesn’t matter what the question is. It doesn’t matter how many times the question is asked. If there are limits to the relationship between humans and AGI, humans are responsible for them. We just don’t have the imagination or creativity to ask new questions.

Now let’s make a bolder claim. The impact of AGI will be more than just the arrival of a handy assistant. I feel a sense of prescience about the times ahead. I have a sense of prescience about the age of the ancient Greek philosophers. The age to come will reward those who ask better questions. It will be far more rewarding than it has been so far.

At least until AGIs start asking questions.

20240524

Original article: https://lovemewithoutall.github.io/it/beyond-agi/