Do We Need Futuristic Sociopaths?

A recent Wall Street Journal headline states, “Without Consciousness, AIs Will Be Sociopaths.” So it seems, according to the WSJ, that we may have had artificial intelligence among us for generations?

Maybe it’s the sociopaths among us who want machines that are smarter than us to have control over our world? 

Most of us simply want to be. The headlines may be screaming about the latest and greatest invention but most of us crave simplicity and meaning. But for traditional business, gurus and experts that does not sell or spur consumption. 

Michael Graziano writes in the WSJ, “As a neuroscientist specializing in the brain mechanisms of consciousness, I find talking to chatbots an unsettling experience. Are they conscious? Probably not. But given the rate of technological improvement, will they be in the next couple of years? And how would we even know?

Figuring out whether a machine has or understands humanlike consciousness is more than just a science-fiction hypothetical. Artificial intelligence is growing so powerful, so quickly, that it could soon pose a danger to human beings … How can we build AI so that it’s aligned with human needs, not in conflict with us?”

Sociopaths Need Not Join Us

There is a whole movement toward transhumanism, which is caught up with futurism, innovation and technology trends. Faith Popcorn believes that “First, we’ll push back. Then, we will become one. On human and machine singularity.” According to her, we will not only be surrounded by “roboticized humans” but we ourselves will be comprised of this singularity.

But what if this belief is one we choose not to accept or follow? And we do so right now before we get swept away in the plot?

A sociopathic machine, and for that matter a sociopathic human, causes havoc in the life of others. Isn’t this an opportunity to examine why we truly need Ai and how it can serve us; not the other way around? Because there is value and benefits.

So many people blame social media, smart devices and digital technology for our current levels of stress, burnout and a host of other mental health-related issues. But what if we realize we are not all characters in a sci-fi min-series and there’s no one to blame?

Is there a true benefit of having technology that outthinks us?

Apart from the estimated four percent of the global population who is considered to be sociopaths, and one percent psychopaths, are we (95%) not brilliant creators, inventors and architects who can write healthy human stories?