AI and a thought experiment
SmokingCaterpillar January 23 2025 11:30:11 AM
Imagine that you're the head of a vast corporation today. Say someone like Elon Musk, though you could apply this thought to many others in a similar position like Mark Zuckerberg or Jeff Bezos.What is the possibility that during a convivial dinner (or a Zoom session) two or more very rich people have joined forces informally in order to extend their empires? These are the modern equivalent of robber barons, I would suggest.
They have their fiefdoms (the gig economy provides a rich source of serf labour) and enjoy generous concessions from the sates in which they operate. Presumably in part because of the impression that 'trickle down' is a real phenomenon.
With so much power, surely these rich people have access to AI systems that are completely under their control? And they can tune the models towards any goals they want to without any regard to the consequences or ethical issues. Add to that mix a good solid messiah complex, and we have the recipe for totalitarianism.
In other words, these hypothetical people not only have the resources to influence world affairs but probably believe that they have a moral duty to shape the world according to their own beliefs.
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