“AI Signals End of Human Civilization?” Contemplations from Daniel Dennett's Last Interview
Famed philosopher, Daniel Dennett, who departed from us recently, shared a series of insightful contemplations on the implications of artificial intelligence in what turned out to be his final interview.
Known widely as a member of the celebrated four horsemen of the New Atheist movement, Dennett was an acknowledged scholar in cognitive science, focusing on demystifying consciousness and providing a scientific approach towards its understanding. His ideologies and perspectives have notably influenced the world of artificial intelligence.
In Dennett's view, consciousness is the outcome of many competing thoughts and feelings, not an ‘inner self' as traditionally believed. The ones which wield the most influence guide our behaviors and constitute the ‘contents' of our consciousness. Dennett’s interpretation might seem esoteric, yet it has a profound effect on how the key players in AI perceive the concept of intelligent machines.
The parallels between Dennett's outlining of consciousness and the working of language models like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini are quite striking. Both correlate with the idea of parallel processing, leading to outputs that vie for supremacy.
Pondering on why humans possess an innate urge to visualize themselves as an internal entity, Dennett attributed it to a ‘user illusion' facilitated by language. However, he asserted that without social interactions or language, our consciousness would significantly differ from today's standardized understanding, much like the consciousness of a chimpanzee or birdsong to human conversation.
In light of these perspectives, and as developments in artificial intelligence create seismic shifts in all aspects of life, the question that demands an answer is, “Could the advancement of AI signal the end of human civilization?” This deeply philosophical query, proposed by Dennett, is one that requires careful thought and dialogue. What do you think?
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