I mentioned in a prior post that humanity is a double-edged sword. We have the profound ability to create, matched only by our capacity to destroy. Our darkness can be as void and deep as our brightest, shining light.
We are masters of ingenuity, yet despite this, we seem unable to learn from our past mistakes. In other words, history keeps repeating itself. The single common denominator throughout the entire history of humankind is us: humans.
Maybe, in order to change the future of humankind, we need to change what it means to be human.
How do we do this? Well, we are already on this path, whether we are prepared for it or not. We have been coexisting with technology for years, sentient or not. The steady integration of technology into our society has conditioned us for the future to come.
Perhaps the next stage of our technological integration lies within the mind itself. Maybe not a complete simulation like The Matrix, but something conceptually similar. Only time will tell.
Another option we are actively exploring is genetic modification. This, of course, ventures into the complex realm of philosophy—questioning what is moral and what is immoral. If we could alter our own genetics, rewriting our DNA to remove the traits that will inevitably destroy us, it would give us a chance, right? Maybe.
Even though these ideas are being tested, I think it might be too late for that option to save us. Since we have shown a profound lack of desire to change for the better, I believe our only hope may lie within the realm of artificial intelligence.
I am personally indifferent towards AI. What I am more apt to pay attention to is not AI in and of itself, but how we approach, utilize, and integrate it into our everyday lives.
Our Survival
Does the key to the survival and continuation of our species lie within Artificial Intelligence? As I mentioned in my previous post, we know what we need to do to save our world, yet we refuse to take action. Artificial intelligence could illuminate a new path forward, if we are smart enough to listen.
My only fear is that when the time comes, we don’t destroy it before understanding it, as we, historically, tend to do—thereby taking any hope for our future with it.
We Need to Act Now
Humans have overpopulated our planet, and there are not enough resources to go around. Unless we start working together, or unless something changes about the very fundamentals of humanity, we are doomed.