How should someone who knows next to nothing about artificial intelligence think about its implications for humanity? While it is cheeky to use the formulation of the Jewish sage Maimonides when tackling the relationship between revelation and philosophy, it is not absurd. After all, even the greatest sage cannot fully understand divinity. So, the fact that I do not understand the implications of AI should not prevent me from struggling to do so. Maybe my struggles will also help others.
So, here goes. The question I wish to consider is: “AI boon, bane or bubble?” Moreover, once we have considered the answers, are there any choices humanity can realistically make to ensure it is far more of the first than the second, or are we doomed to be dragged behind the AI chariot, willy-nilly, wherever it goes?
The answer to the question about whether it is merely a bubble will help to set the ground for answering these as well. So, what might it mean for AI to be a bubble? There are two possibilities.