We keep hearing that people are afraid of AI/Artificial Intelligence. When asked to articulate what their fears are, they respond with vague world-ending catastrophes. Democrats, who loved data centers two years ago, suddenly hate them. The companies building AI are asking for regulation from senators who can barely use a cell phone. Doom and gloom are always the starting point in any discussion of Artificial Intelligence.
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So what is the real problem?
First off, everyone’s perception of Artificial Intelligence is based on fiction; specifically, science fiction. HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Colossus from the movie The Forbin Project. WHOPPER from WarGames. Ultron from Marvel’s Avengers series. I, Robot, Demon Seed, The Matrix… just to name a few. The entire Terminator franchise is built around the premise of Skynet becoming self-aware and declaring war on mankind.
Science fiction paints an image of manmade intelligence hating mankind and trying to wipe it out. It’s at a point where it’s a trope, not even an original one. The plots are action/adventure based on pushing fear to the audience, fear of machines. We have had decades of these films and countless books feeding us a narrative built entirely on the foundation of pure fiction.
Do films ever show computer intelligence in a positive light? Short Circuit, WALL-E, Bicentennial Man, and The Iron Giant do, but in a very lighthearted way, and nothing for decades. What moviegoers want is doom and gloom, so that is what is put out by Hollywood.
Another issue that Artificial Intelligence faces is with younger people who fear that they won’t have jobs because of the new technology. Their hatred is a Luddite one. Because they have not been properly educated, they don’t understand that every generation has a technological change that humanity has overcome.
When I graduated college the first time in 1984, desktop computers were new. There was a fear that they would take over everyone’s jobs. At the same time, manufacturing robotics was becoming commonplace. People did lose their jobs, but in reality, more jobs were created as a result of these trends. The IT industry was a niche set of skills in 1984. Within a decade, IT jobs became not only prolific in quantity, but they also became some of the highest-paying positions.
The final hurdle with Artificial Intelligence is the politicization of the subject. Three years ago, Democrats were pro-data centers. They embraced them almost as much as Green New Deal initiatives. That all changed when President Trump came out as being supportive of data centers to stay ahead of the Chinese. Overnight, the left’s position flip-flopped. Their hatred of the President was channeled into being against Artificial Intelligence, data centers, and everything else associated with the topic. They bemoaned lack of regulation, but have not put forth any plan of their own… mostly because very few in D.C. politics actually understand the technology.
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So how does the industry overcome these often irrational and unfounded issues? First, they must achieve a win with Artificial Intelligence that is so substantial that the narrative of global death is overcome with potential. If a cure for a kind of cancer is found, or a new technology is introduced that is beneficial, people will see the potential, not the fear.
Secondly, the industry needs to educate people about how emerging technologies often have benefits. People need to understand that with every technological innovation in the history of mankind, there has been growth and new opportunities for those who seek them out. Maybe it’s that Artificial Intelligence allows people to work only four days a week. Perhaps people can be shown how they can profit from this technology. For example, a friend of mine used AI to write a sports recreation tracking program. He’s not a programmer, but he created the app and is now able to sell it, if he so chooses. Teach people to use the tools, and they will be amazed at what they can create.
In terms of politicization, there is little that can be done other than the President using their hatred to manipulate them to do things that he desires when it comes to this emerging tech.
Unfounded fears always exist in times of technological upheaval. History has shown us that once a new technology is embraced, lifestyles almost always improve under a capitalist economy. New businesses, career options, and opportunities have always been over the next horizon, if only we are brave enough to look for them.
Blaine Pardoe is a New York Times Bestselling and award-winning author canceled by one of his publishers in 2022. His conservative political thriller series, Blue Dawn, is the story of the violent overthrow of the government by radical progressives. His most recent series, Tenure, is about a Punisher-like hero who goes after the woke. He also authors the bestselling military science fiction series, Land&Sea.
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