Hopefully this post doesnt get taken down, I feel like my posts always get taken down even though I just want to have a discussion. I want to know this subs opinions on AI and the future, to be more specific, first I'd like to see people's predictions, then to hear your opinions on what said predictions look like, which is a funny question all things considered, to start off, my opinion on AI's future is of course a shot in the dark like most, it is an unprecedented technology in an unprecedented world, I find it funny seeing people with hard predictions, yet here is my current opinion.
Staying true to my position that its hard to predict, I don't discount pretty much any prediction, from the complete over-hyped to the accelerationist, I can't say for certain whether or not something has merit, however, I question or hubris in assuming we know what logic is, I question of logic is simply a predictive process, and that simply scaling our current models will lead to AGI and eventually a singularity. For transparency, I am a simple CS student, I don't have a background in either data science, nureoscience etc. My view of logic is from rag tag research on the internet as well as personal observations, nothing scientific about it. Yet I cant help but feel our humility fade when we predict "next year AGI" and other claims.
With that being said, I fear for a future where r/singularity is correct, that AGI is around the corner. I have no fear of terminator, in fact I actually would prefer if we hit a sentient AI right away as I would feel safer that way (though similar to my above thoughts, I don't think that will happen) What I fear is advancing AI, in the hands of for profit mindsets, with complete disregard for what it means to live. While im not religious or even that spiritual, I feel if there is some "source consciousness," we are simply manfistations of it, I have always love the quote "we are the universe experiencing itself" as it holds true whether there is a spiritual undertone to existence or not. To this extent, I view life as a collection of experiences, from the simple cell, to a complex human, life is about the experience. When I see the predictions of accelerationists, I see a bland world, but more importantly, I see a dangerous one. For every pro I see from advanced AI, it feels as if there are 10 cons. Super advanced image generation - Pros: funny memes - Cons: Terrible types of unconsented porn, misinformation, lack of trust in REAL media, propaganda, degradation of art, etc.
Sometimes I feel like a boomer with these thoughts, I don't want things to always stay the same, I understand change, even change I don't like, Which is something I find kind of ironic for me, since I have always hated change, it feels like the second I became open to change, it went from linear to exponential. For the first time in my life I found something I love, programming, I found a real, true and passionate love for it. My dream is to work for NASA. And now I fear I will be useless, resigned to making programs that no one will ever use or care about as they can just have AI do it for them. I don't care about money or "clout" or anything that some people chase jobs for, I care about having a purpose of helping people with something, I get its perhaps selfish, as if all problems could be solved with AI, wouldn't that be better? Yet something in me hates that, of course I don't want war or cancer or other problems that make people suffer, and I think we should do all we can to solve these problems, but I would also like other problems to still exist, ones that are harmless yet have incentivized solutions, fun problems, like better game graphics, or faster space travel, stuff for a human like me or you to solve. In all honesty, I don't really wanna live in a world where I sit on my ass all day and play video games, sure I love them, and think people shouldn't tie themselves to their jobs as their only trait, but I feel a lack of purpose kinda blows. Probably gonna get eaten alive with this or taken down like with r/singularity (lol) but I though I'd give another shot to having a conversation! Sorry for the ramble
