The folly of our preferences.
Stuart Russell is a world-renowned computer scientist.
He literally wrote the book on artificial intelligence.
In a recent podcast, he pointed out some of the potential dangers of AI.
As well as a way to ensure that machines remain beneficial to humans.
According to Dr. Russell:
“We should not be giving the AI systems a goal. At least not one that is precisely defined and known to the AI system. Because it’s exactly when the AI system believes that it knows the objective correctly that whatever action it comes up with in furtherance of that objective… it then sort of believes that this is the correct action to do and doesn’t tolerate, necessarily, interference from people who are jumping up and down saying, ‘Stop doing that! You’re destroying the world.’”
And that makes perfect sense to me.
He went on to say that AI systems should operate on three principles:
The system’s only objective is to maximize realization of human preferences.
The system is initially uncertain as to what these preferences are; and
The ultimate source of information on human preferences is human behavior.
And that’s where he lost me.
Because isn’t that the dominant theory of how our economic system works?
A system that is destroying the world.
Killing the environment, abusing animals, and making people emotionally and physically ill.
Which is all because of human preferences.
And the paradoxical fact that those preferences are… goal-oriented.
Instead of designing a system to maximize the process, or experience, of being alive.
Interdependence, caring, flourishing, and play.
We view the economy as a way to turn life into things.
Things we think we’ll need to stay alive.
Popularity, financial wealth, possessions, and status.
This present crisis is revealing the folly of those preferences.
And the resulting extent of our social and environmental malaise.
It will inevitably stimulate the great debate of our time.
How do we create a new theory about how the economy should work?
One that prioritizes shared prosperity.
And the flourishing of all life on the planet.
As Buckminster Fuller made clear years ago:
“It is now highly feasible to take care of everybody on Earth at a higher standard of living than any have ever known. It no longer has to be you or me. Selfishness is unnecessary and henceforth unrationalizable as mandated by survival.”
He also wrote:
“You never change things by fighting against the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the old model obsolete.”
Let’s stop fighting and defending the status quo.
And let’s get to work creating a new world.
That is the higher service to which we are all being called.