American entrepreneur, Bryan Johnson, suggests that in order to prevent AI from killing us in the future, or prevent us humans from killing each other or kill the planet, we should automate our bodies and the planet using AI with a single goal of "do not die".
What exactly is AI?
AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. And as the word "artificial" suggests, to put it simply, it is a manufactured intelligence, man-made. Some other words synonymous to artificial that could be used in this context include unnatural, fabricated, contrived, mechanical or even replica.
AI has become central to the world's most impressive tech companies, such as Google, Apple, Space X and Meta, just to name a few. All these companies use AI technologies to reduce human error, streamline operations and outrank their competition. And because these companies are worth billions of dollars, they can afford complex and superior in-house AI programming that can process large amounts of data, which is otherwise very expensive and hard to implement.
American futurist and author, Martin Ford, has extensively described the impact that AI and robotics will have on the economy and the job market in many of his books which you should check out. In my review of American Factory, Barack and Michelle Obama's first film on Netflix, I also talk about a looming common enemy for the world that is quickly approaching – the new era of automation cutting across workers.
Let's get a little deeper
Indeed, advances in AI technologies have not only fueled a worldwide explosion in efficiency and changed how we do business, but they have completely revolutionized how some of us do, and soon enough all of us will, think about life and existence.
We, humans, the planet and the universe, are existence and we are intelligence. We have built and are still building Artificial Intelligence, which is a reflection of us encompassing all that we are, flaws and all.
Looking at the current state of the world, the wars, the global warming, the terrorism, the poverty, the mass shootings, and all sorts of organized crime, it's easy to imagine or even predict just how quickly AI could turn south and become destructive just like us.
Is our current state of existence sustainable? Many would argue that it's not which is the reason why the sustainability movement came forth. We even came up with 17 sustainable development goals to achieve by 2030 to ensure the survival of humans and the planet in the future.
Other AI researchers, including Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom in his book Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies, have argued that there's a possibility that AI becomes self-improving which would make it powerful and difficult for humans to control.
To continue existing, it's clear we need to be sustainable which raises the question: how do we build intelligence that is sustainable considering that AI, our intelligent reflection, is quickly superseding us?
A different approach to AI for a different outcome
Bryan Johnson proposes adopting an interesting relationship to AI, which I like to call an empiricist approach to AI, and consider handing over the reigns of control to algorithm as a civilization so that we don't die.
Now, do I personally agree with this approach? That is still to be decided. I think it's a fascinating conversation which I can't wait for more people to join. I'm not saying that AI is bad, far from that. I actually quite like technology and futuristic ideas, but there are certainly advantages and disadvantages to AI as we know it today.
I think the more nuance aspect of this conversation is really about control and power. Who or what is in control, what type of control systems of power currently govern us as a species, and are they serving our long-term interests? With AI, we are creating existence, and what is the currently perceived inevitable outcome to existence? That's right, it's death.
I'm sure you've all heard the saying "pain is inevitable" and we definitely all believe and know that "death is inevitable." But is it?
With endeavors like Project Blueprint and Kernel, Bryan Johnson is committed to using science, by incorporating more brain-computer interfaces and neuroimaging to harness and optimize the power of our physiological intelligence to reimagine our current way of being and existing as human beings, in order to transform the inevitable in life including ageing, disease and dying.
Why is this approach to AI so fascinating to me?
I've always considered myself a rationalist, sometimes even an idealist and definitely a deep thinker. But I'm complex like everyone else, and I have a deeply materialistic and practical side which is also prominent in my psyche and affects all of my decision-making.
And I'm flawed in the way that I can't always understand my feelings because they rise as sensations within my body which I try to analyze logically instead of simply feeling like I'm "supposed" to. But I've surely come a long way and learned how to interpret these sensations in my body by naming therefore identifying them: sadness, tension, fear, anxiety, excitement, and so on, which has honestly helped me be less confused by my own and other people's emotions. I am becoming more empathetic every day.
The body is an intelligent organism that needs no logical interpretation from us to do its job. The body is naturally attuned to nature and the planet and a good example of that is the circadian rhythm which it follows. This is something I have learned to pay more attention to, thanks to American neuroscientist, Andrew Huberman. He has dedicated his life to educating the general public on how to use science and science-based tools to live a healthier and more fulfilling life.
The body does not engage in anything that it senses would destroy it, in fact it is perfectly built to remove toxins and toxicity, thank goodness. When there's danger, the animal mind takes over and turns to flight or fight mode. The body seems to always knows what to do – It knows when it's hungry and when it's full. Our minds are what make us starve ourselves or overindulge. If you have self-destructive tendencies or have ever engaged in self-sabotaging behavior, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Like Brian Johnson, I have also had a deeply negative experience of religion which is why I relate to him on a philosophical level. And although I won't speak to that today, I will say that I realize just how impressionable the mind can be.
All this to say that although our minds are beautiful and can indeed elevate our existence through ideals and ideas about art, beauty, elegance and regality, our minds can also easily deceive us based on the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what we want. So, although I admit that I need to study his work further and also monitor the general global conversation about AI as it develops, I do find Brian Johnson's ideas and research projects revolutionary and worth paying attention to.