AI Okay

Artificial intelligence has been portrayed in various fictional forms, from the scampish Mechanical Turk to the murderous HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey. These embodiments are couched in moralistic tales of deceit and control. Cautionary stories of this kind have been around since the mythological Pandora’s Box and accounts of Aladdin’s genie in the lamp.

I thought it would be interesting to combine ancient magic and futuristic technology in a contemporary setting, forming the basis of a short story Blackjack (link below). It features a duplicitous genie plying his trade of hope and regret. The word genie comes from the Latin genius, a moral spirit, from the root -gene, meaning to give birth. The similarity to the Arabic word jinni meaning a supernatural spirit is coincidental. However, the term ‘generative model’ used by machine learning experts to expand their understanding of AI, owes an etymological debt to the genie. These spirits are older and smarter than humans, with whom they share a dislike for incarceration. Notably, the supernatural lamp dwellers can manifest either as guardian angels or as a tyrants. This dichotomous disposition reflects the support for AI by its advocates and proclamations of its hazards by detractors.

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Arthur C. Clarke

Recognising the boundaries between technology and magic may be dependent on knowledge of the natural world but that which is unknowable must also be considered. The limits of human perception, and those of thinking machines, extend along different vectors. Whether these weaknesses will ever be exploited by either party presents a chilling prospect.

The genie is out of the bottle

General level intelligence (GI) has been anticipated since the earliest computers. The barriers to GI, although shrinking all the time, can’t be ignored. The Bayesian reasoning abilities of a small child driven by natural curiosity are beyond the scope of machine learning algorithms. Creative writing is not possible for an AI. Neither is the ability to exercise free will. For now.

In Nick Bostrom’s Superintelligence the author points to patterns of explosive development that could lead to the instantaneous proliferation of a powerful AI. Whether or not this would pose an existential threat who can tell? Our own understanding of the mind is in itself a confounding factor. If the body and mind are interleaved and volition is a misconception, what does this mean for comparisons of our thinking with computer intelligence?

Gamification

Human games are used by researchers who are pushing the boundaries of neural networks and AI. Simple games like checkers and backgammon have been thoroughly conquered. One of the greatest of human pursuits, the ancient game of Go, has seen AI become stronger than humans. Card games have shown resilience and although AI is roughly equal to human experts in certain games like Bridge, others such as Hanabi that involve cooperative play coupled with imperfect information have yet to submit to AI.

In my story, games and the element of chance provide a useful conceit for the relationship between humans and technology. The intimate connection between gamers and poker machines is something I witnessed first hand from my experience working in arcades and snooker clubs as a student. The addictive power of these games is a warning bell for the risks of gambling, and the power of simple machines to control human behaviour.

Blackjack was originally intended as a practice piece for writing dialogue. Getting the correct tone and cadence for conversations is something I wish to improve. The story is also an homage to Douglas Adams’ Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. (I will let the reader decide if it is a science fiction story.) In fitting with this approach, the story is not bound by any laws of physics that you or I may be subject to. The description of different types of AI as oracles and genies in Superintelligence prompted a rewrite to personify the characters in a similar way.

Spacetime

The passage of time, and how we experience it, is an underlying theme of the story. Is the linear trajectory of time an artefact of our mortality? If this restriction was lifted would an implanted consciousness suffer digital atrophy or would it self-deceive to avoid the maddening boredom of eternity? I think these questions remain solely in philosophical realm for now but it is fun to speculate.

Humanity perceives time based on our biological predisposition. One thing we should expect is that our machine counterparts are not going to experience it this way, by design. The concept of Three Score and Ten could be forever changed by emerging technology too. Wishing our lives away may not carry the same meaning it once did.

Blackjack

This page was last updated on Jun 28, 2021 18:31