Emeritus Prof. Christopher May
@ChrisMayLA6@mastodon.me.uk  ·  activity timestamp 7 hours ago
By blaming the technology, discussions around AI-induced human extinction divert attention from scrutinizing the organizations deciding what AI is developed, how it is produced and for what purposes. The same applies to arguments claiming that AI is progressing too quickly to be halted. Certainly, AI is advancing rapidly, leaving many behind, but someone is stepping on the accelerator. Framing technology as the source of danger serves not only to mislead the public but also to fulfil an internal purpose. When AI is portrayed as an autonomous, self-determining force, it allows scientists and engineers within Big Tech’s innovation systems to feel less accountable for their own decisions. If the technology itself is deemed responsible, these developers can continue modelling and coding without considering their ethical responsibilities, especially when AI is presented as the key to solving all the world’s problems. But AI is not an independent entity. Like all technologies, AI is a product of human labour and decision-making. Technologies are not autonomous; in capitalism, they are shaped by labour, investments, alliances, corporate interests and the personal ambitions of CEOs, executives and chief scientists, among others.
By blaming the technology, discussions around AI-induced human extinction divert attention from scrutinizing the organizations deciding what AI is developed, how it is produced and for what purposes. The same applies to arguments claiming that AI is progressing too quickly to be halted. Certainly, AI is advancing rapidly, leaving many behind, but someone is stepping on the accelerator. Framing technology as the source of danger serves not only to mislead the public but also to fulfil an internal purpose. When AI is portrayed as an autonomous, self-determining force, it allows scientists and engineers within Big Tech’s innovation systems to feel less accountable for their own decisions. If the technology itself is deemed responsible, these developers can continue modelling and coding without considering their ethical responsibilities, especially when AI is presented as the key to solving all the world’s problems. But AI is not an independent entity. Like all technologies, AI is a product of human labour and decision-making. Technologies are not autonomous; in capitalism, they are shaped by labour, investments, alliances, corporate interests and the personal ambitions of CEOs, executives and chief scientists, among others.
By blaming the technology, discussions around AI-induced human extinction divert attention from scrutinizing the organizations deciding what AI is developed, how it is produced and for what purposes. The same applies to arguments claiming that AI is progressing too quickly to be halted. Certainly, AI is advancing rapidly, leaving many behind, but someone is stepping on the accelerator. Framing technology as the source of danger serves not only to mislead the public but also to fulfil an internal purpose. When AI is portrayed as an autonomous, self-determining force, it allows scientists and engineers within Big Tech’s innovation systems to feel less accountable for their own decisions. If the technology itself is deemed responsible, these developers can continue modelling and coding without considering their ethical responsibilities, especially when AI is presented as the key to solving all the world’s problems. But AI is not an independent entity. Like all technologies, AI is a product of human labour and decision-making. Technologies are not autonomous; in capitalism, they are shaped by labour, investments, alliances, corporate interests and the personal ambitions of CEOs, executives and chief scientists, among others.
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