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AI: An existential threat or a mirror of human vices?

Astana, Kazakhstan – Warnings about the potential threat posed by artificial intelligence are becoming louder in the corridors of technology giants and on the pages of reputable publications. The alarm is not being sounded by retrogrades or people far from technology, but by the architects of the new digital era themselves – leading experts in the field of AI. This paradox raises a legitimate question: if the creators are so worried, what should we expect? However, upon closer examination, it becomes obvious that the root of the problem lies not in silicon chips, but in human nature.

The idea that AI, having reached a certain level of development, can rebel against its creators has long migrated from science fiction to serious scientific discussions. Industry luminaries such as the late Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk, and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak have repeatedly expressed their concerns. Their main argument boils down to the fact that a superintelligence that surpasses human intelligence can become uncontrollable and its goals can radically diverge from ours.

In 2023, he left Google in order to be able to freely talk about the dangers associated with his brainchild. "It's hard to imagine how you can prevent bad guys from using AI for bad purposes," he said in an interview. In his opinion, an arms race in the field of AI is inevitable, and this may lead to the emergence of autonomous weapons capable of making decisions about life and death without human intervention.

Another pioneer in the field of deep learning, Joshua Bengio, also expressed his concern, comparing the potential threat from uncontrolled AI with the threat of nuclear weapons. He emphasizes that as AI systems become smarter, they can begin to act in unexpected ways, pursuing goals that may be harmful to humanity.

However, against the background of these apocalyptic predictions, another point of view is increasingly being heard. The main threat is not artificial intelligence itself, but the people who create and use it. AI is a tool, and like any powerful tool, it can be used for both good and evil.

By their very nature, the very qualities that have been a source of conflict and suffering throughout human history are alien. He is indifferent to such concepts as envy, hatred, jealousy, arrogance or chauvinism. These destructive emotions are the prerogative of man.

Even if we imagine that in the distant future, AI will be able to mimic or even "master" these feelings, it is unlikely that this will make it a threat in the human sense. A true superintelligence, logically, should be devoid of irrationality. Having become truly intelligent, he, unlike us, is unlikely to commit senseless and reckless acts, such as starting wars or committing crimes for short-term gain or satisfying his ambitions.

This point of view is shared by some experts in the field of AI. They argue that the anthropomorphization of artificial intelligence, that is, attributing human qualities and motives to it, is a fundamental mistake.

Yann LeCun, chief artificial intelligence specialist at Meta (formerly Facebook), is skeptical about existential threats. He has repeatedly stated that fears of a superintelligent AI that will enslave humanity are greatly exaggerated. In his opinion, intelligence is not a one-dimensional scale, and there is no reason to believe that superintelligence will seek to dominate. "Intelligence and the desire for dominance are two completely different things," emphasizes LeCun.

Perhaps the main danger is not that machines will become too human-like, but that they will amplify and scale our own shortcomings. AI in the hands of a dictator can become an ideal tool for total control, and in the hands of an irresponsible corporation – a means for manipulation and exploitation.

Ultimately, the future of artificial intelligence is a mirror that humanity looks into. And what we see in it depends not on algorithms and computing power, but on our own values, ethical standards, and ability to collaborate. The task we face today is not to stop progress, but to direct it in a safe and humane direction by creating reliable control and regulatory mechanisms that will not allow humanity's greatest invention to be used to its detriment.

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