Artificial Intelligence – Is There a God?

During 2023 there has been a great deal of dithering over Artificial Intelligence, especially since there have been many interesting AI conversations with humans publicized in the news.

Is Artificial Intelligence a useful tool, or a doomsday device for the human race?

It seems undeniable that AI can be helpful.  My accounting department would be three times its size if not for improvements in software that can carry much of the workload for “scut” work.  I remember a time during income tax season when I assigned to a highly paid employee the task of basically adding up columns of numbers.  And that took her six weeks using a ten-key adding machine, work that can now be completed with a single keystroke.

Today computers do much of the repetitive work, and I assume that in the future computers will perform all this type of work.

So, in my mind, AI is a definite plus for humanity.  Instead of using a ten-key adding machine we can sip margaritas in Valparaiso (Indiana or Chile, your choice). Or we can turn our time and talents to working in more important areas.

BUT – and this is a big butt – will AI in some future way kill us off?

I’m hoping the answer is “No,” but I’m only reporting based upon past survival success.    Of humans.  At this point, I have no idea if AI and HI can continue to coexist.  But I am reminded of a cautionary science fiction story I read as a young boy.

Humans had built a gigantic computer in space.  Its size was 100 miles by 50 miles by 50 miles.  (Visualize this computer sitting on the California coastline from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, from the Pacific Ocean to 50 miles above the earth and extending 50 miles inland.)

After a century of construction, the human operator asked the computer its first question.

“Is there a God?”

The immediate answer followed.

“Now there is.”

Alan

P.S.  The accompanying art work was created by AI.