The Sorcerer's Apprentice Story

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The story of the sorcerer's apprentice originates from ancient Egypt and involves a powerful sorcerer leaving his apprentice in charge, who then mishandles magic by conjuring animate brooms that flood the workshop. The apprentice struggles to control the situation, illustrating the challenge of containing unleashed powers. This story symbolizes the complexity and risks involved in the pursuit of artificial intelligence, where the creation of advanced intelligence needs careful management to prevent unintended consequences and chaos.

We usually talk about tech in terms of economics or policy, but the casual language tech leaders often use to describe AI — summoning an inanimate force with the powers of code — sounds more... magical. So, what can myth and magic teach us about the AI race? Josh Schrei, mythologist and host of The Emerald podcast, says that foundational cultural tales like "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" or Prometheus teach us the importance of initiation, responsibility, human knowledge, and care. He argues these stories and myths can guide ethical tech development by reminding us what it is to be human.

Correction: Josh says the first telling of "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice" myth dates back to ancient Egypt, but it actually dates back to ancient Greece.

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