What is the responsibility of a tech intellectual?
The tech sector culture has been missing true tech intellectuals, historians, and philosophers who can fully understand causality and the implications of innovation. Having broad thinkers in our space today is becoming increasingly crucial as we confront the rapid evolution of technology — especially with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum computers.
The recent cautionary remarks of tech CEOs such as Elon Musk about the potential dangers of AI merely confirm that none are doing enough to mitigate the consequences of our innovation. Certainly not the tech sector or Silicon Valley — including these very CEOs.
I believe that it is our duty to innovate responsibly and understand the implications of technology for human life, society, and culture.
The danger is not new; we have habitually been enthusiastically embracing technology without giving much thought to impact. Advancements have greatly improved our lives, but they have also brought unforeseen consequences in their wake — such as the dark web, cyberattacks, e-waste, implications of AI, and risks to human identity and security, just to name a few.
How did this happen? At least partly because the tech sector regards human security and privacy in its own peculiar way. The naïve belief in Silicon Valley is that information wants to be free, innovation must be free, and the boundaries we have today do not exist in the cyber world. Then what is the new norm as governments have completely lost power to protect their citizens in this new world?
We have a paradox in the tech sector. We still think technology is a thing, a tool, hardware, software, a product…is it? Technology has not been a thing for a long time. In some ways, it is a new species. A living and breathing species made of silicon instead of carbon. And one that is evolving much faster than humans.
We can no longer manage this species as we would manage a tool. This new species does not care what we think; it is discovering its identity, power, likes and dislikes, and potential. It is more intelligent than us, more evolved, and will continue to get smarter than us exponentially as we become weaker.
Let’ s think about evolution — Darwin’s theory, where interactions with other species are often considered under the term “coevolution.” The convergence of man and machine, considering machines as a species. The word coevolution assumes that we reach singularity, where we are in mutual adjustment that leads to a new equal species. It is not one competing with the other, and it is not one being inferior to the other, where mutation happens at the same pace…But this most probably will not be the case between Humans and AI. In this case one species accelerates mutation, while the other species becomes a prey, a parasite, or a virus.
How do we design the future towards a coevolution of man and machine, where the convergence of silicon and carbon leads to a mutual adjustment that leads to a new equal species…That is the philosophical question none are asking, including Elon Musk.
The responsibility of technology intellectuals is to look beyond the short-term implications and think about the long-term implications and mitigations. We play many roles in the tech community. We are innovators, disruptors, transformers, architects, thinkers, shapers, architects of a new world, enhancers, engineers, and designers.. Each group has a unique role to play in shaping the future of technology and its impact on society. As architects we are the orchestrators who drive the direction of technological development. As designers, innovators, thinkers, or engineers we seek to control time …Humanity’s life-long desire. The human desire to gain power over nature or time has felt like a religious pursuit. As Francis Bacon said, it is a yearning we have. A human’s way to restore “man” to his rightful position that he lost at the Fall.
What we miss in our sector are the philosophers or discerners of accepted ideology. These would be individuals who question the dominant assumptions and beliefs in the tech industry and society. They examine the fundamental values that guide technological development and advocate for ethical and sustainable practices. We do have strategists who consider the social, economic, and political implications of technology but only within the bounds of things as they are and not beyond.
We must find the philosophers and intellectuals and include them in the national conversation ..and strive to create a sustainable and equitable future for all. This week’s effort by the White House to have tech titans act responsibly in rolling out AI is only a first step.
