AI and Illusion of More

Last week I hosted a dinner at the Wisdom 2.0 conference in SF on the topic of “AI & Illusion of More”. 

Here was the premise of the conversation - AI is making it easier than ever to create more - more content, more output, more speed. But is more actually making things better?

1) Where is “more” adding value vs creating noise?

2) Is AI amplifying us or outsourcing us?

3) What truly matters when everything can be automated?

The 7 of us discussed what ‘illusion of more’ meant to each one of us and how we saw it playing out in society. The group consisted of two executive coaches, an HR executive, two people from a non-profit and a venture capitalist. 

A couple talked about how they had seen this dynamic play out in their entire lives. How each Technological Revolution led to ever increasing levels of consumption and extraction.  The promise was that it would make us more efficient and then people would actually have more time in their lives but just the opposite occurred and we worked harder than ever. 

The non-profit leader talked about how we had lost the sense of ourselves as spiritual beings and our relationship to nature. That we are rushing towards the creation of another entity of intelligence without fully understanding the implications to society and human well being.  

I shared that AI certainly makes us efficient in many ways but I worry that this is yet another chase for ‘more’, which is now moving from our historically dominant extraction of Earth resources towards extraction of the human mind and intelligence. 

As Kate Raworth, founder of Doughnut Economics put it, “Today we have economies that need to grow whether or not they make us thrive, and especially in the wealthy nations we need an economy that makes us thrive whether or not it needs to grow”. 

The VC talked about the race for AI domination in the Industry, cycles of greed, everyone in the industry chasing higher gains and justifying it by saying that if we don't do it, the Chinese will. He felt caught in a trap himself and was trying his best to make responsible investments. 

Several other themes emerged during the various sessions at the conference where AI leaders from Google, OpenAI etc were present.

Here’s some key points - 

• AI is further concentrating wealth in the hands of the few. How might we advance benefit to the whole of society? 

• What is the healing that we’re meant to bring forth as human beings in this time?

• Intelligence is a social paradigm. Can AI truly replace that?

• Tools have always shaped our destiny as humans. How will this new powerful tool reshape our destiny? 

• We need a new economic paradigm beyond infinite economic growth, one in which human dignity and wellbeing is at the core. 

• AI enables a greater number of people to do anything and learn anything

• Who asked for AI and why does the general public have no say in the development of this technology that seeks to displace millions? Is the tech industry becoming too big to regulate?

Overall the conference was a mix of cautious optimism and concern for the lack of regard for human well-being. 

I would love to ask you the same questions -

1) Where is “more” adding value vs creating noise?

2) Is AI amplifying us or outsourcing us?

3) What truly matters when everything can be automated?

What is your personal assessment of AI and its impacts? 

What do you see from your unique vantage point? 

I would love to hear your perspective!

- Nitin