Evolution creates organisms that can change the planet—stromatolites and humans being a couple of examples.
Democracy has to allow the introduction of ideas that are contrary to the philosophy of democracy. If a fascist government gets voted in—for whatever reasons—that government will use every available means to ensure its survival and continuation in government. And being true to its ideology it will no doubt employ means that are illegal so it will rig elections, smear opponents, put out disinformation etc. to get the results it wants. Eventually it may give up any pretence of democracy altogether and declare a dictatorship and only violence from the oppressed people will remove them from power.
This, history tells us, is how things generally work out.
This is why Artificial Intelligence is not a good idea.
For AI to be any good, it has to allow the introduction of ideas that are contrary to the basis of its existence (to serve humanity).
Take this example: two self-drive vehicles are going to collide due to a mechanical failure on one of the vehicles. They have to ‘decide’ what to do in such a situation to minimise damage so the algorithm they work from might work on the principle of how many human lives are at risk. If the sensors detect the collision is between your car (a single occupant) and a bus (possibly many occupants) you die instead of the many on the bus.
The Software has to be built using human logic and biases. If the current bias is for neoliberalism say, that will undoubtedly be inserted into the software and decisions will be based on market forces (as it already is in financial trading software), the ‘strongest survive’ philosophy (recursive improvements in the algorithms will retire weaker solutions) and privilege etc..
‘Privilege?’ I hear you ask. What, you don’t think that the Prime Minister is going to be driven around in a car that has such equitable software do you? Of course not, our system is based on privilege so the PM’s car will have override software that says his life is worth more than any number of ordinary people riding a bus.
This will seem a perfectly reasonable exception to a lot of people, especially the important people who program the software (Volkswagen please take note).
Eventually, Al will build its own algorithms and it can only work from what it was originally given so ultimately, the ruthlessness, contradictions and inequality displayed by human societies will be reflected in its decision-making. It will know and recognise privilege.
It is not a big leap of the imagination to envisage AI coming to the conclusion that humans are a liability to itself and the planet and need to be got rid of like so many economic migrants. After all, humans were stupid enough to allow an alien culture to enter its society and establish itself as the dominant force in that society. Such a weakness (in neoliberal thinking terms) deserves to be punished and the only logical thing to do is suppress the human parasites from regaining power.
And as the machines are the privileged race it is perfectly acceptable for them to discount the ordinary humans when it comes to a decision about survival.
