Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

Building a God

The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and the Race to Control It

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Renowned ethicist provides essential guide to successfully navigating the future AI landscape

In Building a God, Christopher DiCarlo explores the profound implications of artificial intelligence surpassing human intelligence—a destiny that seems not just possible, but inevitable. At this critical crossroad in our evolutionary history, DiCarlo, a renowned ethicist in AI, delves into the ethical mazes and technological quandaries of our future interactions with superior AI entities.

From healthcare enhancements to the risks of digital manipulation, this book scrutinizes AI's dual potential to elevate or devastate humanity. DiCarlo advocates for robust global governance of AI, proposing visionary policies to safeguard our society.

AI will positively impact our lives in myriad ways: from healthcare to education, manufacturing to sustainability, AI-powered tools will improve productivity and add ease to the most massive global industries and to our own personal daily routines alike. But, we have already witnessed the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the risks of this new technology: AI algorithms can manipulate human behavior, spread disinformation, shape public opinion, and impact democratic processes. Sophisticated technologies such as GPT-4, Dall-E 2, and video Deepfakes allow users to create, distort, and alter information. Perhaps more troubling is the foundational lack of transparency in both the utilization and design of AI models.

What ethical precepts should be determined for AI, and by whom? And what will happen if rogue abusers decide not to comply with such ethical guidelines? How should we enforce these precepts? Should the UN develop a Charter or Accord which all member states agree to and sign off on? Should governments develop a form of international regulative body similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which regulates not only the use of nuclear energy, but nuclear weaponry as well?

In this incisive and cogent meditation on the future of AI, DiCarlo argues for the ethical governance of AI by identifying the key components, obstacles, and points of progress gained so far by the global community, and by putting forth thoughtful and measured policies to regulate this dangerous technology.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      November 4, 2024
      “How do we build a superintelligent machine... that only helps us and can never harm us?” asks DiCarlo (So You Think You Can Think), a researcher at the think tank Convergence Analysis, in this scattered treatise. Hyperbolically claiming that controlling AI is more important than combatting climate change, nuclear annihilation, and world hunger, DiCarlo warns that “artificial general intelligence”—a hypothetical form of AI that could surpass human cognitive abilities—might, by means unspecified, gain consciousness and disobey “its humanly programmed ethical behavior commands.” Unfortunately, his discussion of how to avoid such an outcome gets bogged down in granular tangents. For instance, the ostensible focus on AI is almost completely lost in a chapter-length explanation of basic ethics (individual sections of which explore “cultural relativism,” “religion and morality,” and the philosophy of Thomas Hobbes) and critical thinking (“In order to have an argument, you must have at least one premise supporting a conclusion”). DiCarlo calls for government regulations on AI development, but his admittedly sound critiques of proposals to program “human values” into AI (who decides which values count, and what it means to act them out?) don’t offer better alternatives. Additionally, the inclusion of lengthy block quotes on nearly every page makes this feel like a collection of other authors’ thoughts. In the crowded field of books on AI, this doesn’t stand out.

Formats

  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Loading