1 min readThe end of accelerating change

Artificial general intelligence is like Pandora’s box. Once it is opened, it will be very difficult for us to stop the eventual extinction of our species.

Why does Peter Russell believe that the extinction of the human species is inevitable [see Peter Russell: What If There Is No Future]? He explains this idea through this article for Spanda Journal

Russell says that we think of development in linear time, as if the rate of development is static. And yet, he says, every innovation we develop ensures that the next innovation will be created in much less time, with much less resources. Development, Russell says, is exponential. The rate of change will continue to increase as new technologies are rolled out. Soon, the rate of change will be inconceivable, and when it reaches its physical limit, we will have no power to stop its consequences. We will be swept towards a whirlwind where there is no way out. 

Implications for AI

If we create artificial general intelligence  (AGI) now, it will inevitably lead us to artificial super intelligence, which could in turn, lead us to new forms of intelligence which can no longer be controlled nor understood by humanity. 
And while Russell says that such a future is immanent because of our innate capacity for innovation, we think that there is a way to avoid such a scenario [see Enlightenment And The Evolution Of Matter]. If we realize that we can transform the past, if we understand the power that will enable us to change our societies and institutions, why do we need to risk more?

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