The Fragile Balance of Technology: A Continuum from Social Media to AI

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The evolution from social media to artificial intelligence (AI) underscores a critical insight: good intentions in technology are insufficient without addressing the underlying incentives governing its design and implementation. Historically, social media was celebrated for its potential to empower and connect people. However, as time revealed, the incentives fostered negative societal consequences, such as attention span reduction and societal division, driven by the dynamics of clickbait and outrage. The same caution applies to AI today; the focus should not merely be on its beneficial applications but on ensuring it is deployed in a way that fortifies societal structures rather than exploiting vulnerabilities. It is crucial to proactively address the fragilities that new technologies introduce, avoiding a paradox where advancements in AI lead to systemic harm akin to extracting critical support from a Jenga tower to achieve greater height. Emphasizing this perspective could shift dialogues from solely celebrating technology's potential to critically evaluating how it can be responsibly sustained and integrated into society without compromising its foundational integrity.

It’s been a year and half since Tristan and Aza laid out their vision and concerns for the future of artificial intelligence in The AI Dilemma. In this Spotlight episode, the guys discuss what’s happened since then–as funding, research, and public interest in AI has exploded–and where we could be headed next. Plus, some major updates on social media reform, including the passage of the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act in the Senate.

Your Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_

RECOMMENDED MEDIA

The AI Dilemma: Tristan and Aza’s talk on the catastrophic risks posed by AI.

Info Sheet on KOSPA: More information on KOSPA from FairPlay.

Situational Awareness by Leopold Aschenbrenner: A widely cited blog from a former OpenAI employee, predicting the rapid arrival of AGI.

AI for Good: More information on the AI for Good summit that was held earlier this year in Geneva.

Using AlphaFold in the Fight Against Plastic Pollution: More information on Google’s use of AlphaFold to create an enzyme to break down plastics.

Swiss Call For Trust and Transparency in AI: More information on the initiatives mentioned by Katharina Frey.

RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES

War is a Laboratory for AI with Paul Scharre

Jonathan Haidt On How to Solve the Teen Mental Health Crisis

Can We Govern AI? with Marietje Schaake

The Three Rules of Humane Tech

The AI Dilemma

Clarification: Swiss diplomat Nina Frey’s full name is Katharina Frey.

The views expressed by guests appearing on Center for Humane Technology’s podcast, Your Undivided Attention, are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of CHT. CHT does not support or oppose any candidate or party for election to public office