A Critical Juncture: The Potential of AI and Ethical Implications - Introduction

This is part of a special series written by Board Member Charles Pellicane on AI Ethics. We will release these articles on Fridays.

In this text you will find my opinion on the impact of artificial intelligence on our economic system. I say text because as I begin writing this I am not certain of the ultimate length which typically determines such a thing. Whether this ends as an essay or a book is not my concern, but rather to capture my full thoughts on the matter. 

My hope is that this text will help influence the course of human progress. As it stands today, there is competition and greed over resources which leads to hunger, homelessness, wars, and death. Many believe the environment is degrading rapidly. Yet, we are at the cusp of being rid of it all. Artificial intelligence can be the key to unlocking the chains slowing our own progress. 

You will find that this text is more of a conversational stream of consciousness than a text book. At times, I will source my statements. At others, I will be sharing my thoughts and there will be nothing to source other than the source itself. 

I will be making the argument that capitalism, like all economic systems before it, will be replaced and that it is critical we design the right system to replace it that will benefit people and the planet. Even if you are someone looking for humans to leave Earth, it is critical to have a strong Earth as a base from which to begin our exploration of the galaxy. 

We will go as far as to explore those different systems and imagine the possibilities that could exist. This is not an indictment of the current system, as all systems have their flaws, but rather a recognition that change is inevitable and it behooves us to best consider what is our next course of action. We are on a journey together and we wouldn’t want to walk backwards. What is our next step that will lead to the most advancement under the best conditions? 

This text should drive discourse that will guide our actions. More than just consumed and considered, it should be discussed and debated. I look forward to responses to its claims and feedback on its points. 

As for why I am writing this text, I have always been interested in the betterment of mankind and the philosophical discussion of how and why to act. I believe artificial intelligence is the lens of our day through which to consider all the old questions new again. While neither an artificial intelligence expert nor a professor of ethics, I believe that gives me the best qualification to combine and discuss the two so that I am not biased on either. I am, to put it bluntly, just a guy living a life. Remarkably average in as much as I may have some traits above average and some below, with a few at either tail of the spectrum. Certainly, some people would envy certain characteristics of my life and others would scoff at it. This is, I believe, a good thing for my credentials as a thinker on this topic. Should I be extraordinary in my class or condition, there would be inherent bias in my desire for systematic change.

And as for why you are reading this text, you may be wondering how did I get here? Aren’t we all? Well as for you, specifically, I cannot say. Hopefully, you come open minded as to what is contained in these pages and, even if you already think you have your mind made up, are willing to change it if presented with the right idea. You hopefully believe in your own ability to logically think through these things. If you are one of those people who look to institutions and others for how to think, hopefully you share this book with them and they read it with an open mind.