The aliens are coming
Digital intelligence is human - Media Ecology Newsletter #33
I was quite surprised to read about how historian and storyteller Yuval Noah Harari called artificial intelligence an “alien intelligence” that could end the human-dominated period of history (here is the video). What exactly should that mean?
Did you see any aliens?
When Yuval Noah Harari discusses artificial intelligence as an “alien”, he is referring to its intelligence being foreign or unfamiliar to us. Specifically, he is talking about a form of reasoning that is not easily understood or transparent, and appears to be beyond human control.
There are other examples of similar phenomena, such as finance, which operates according to a logic that is largely automated and that seems uncontrollable for individual humans. Finance is also not transparent and has, of course, important consequences for human life.
However, despite these characteristics, finance is not commonly referred to as alien systems.
That is because “alien” means that is originated by a non human intelligence. While artificial intelligence is very much originated by humans.
Harari's use of the term "alien intelligence" is a form of storytelling that helps humans understand and perceive the consequences of artificial intelligence. While his intention may be good, the epistemology or way of knowing is flawed. Incorrect understanding of something can lead to incorrect consequences. It is important to recognize that artificial intelligence is created by humans, designed based on human values, abilities, and interpreted using human understanding. Therefore, humans are those who need to exert control over the way artificial intelligence is made and used.
It is not easy. But a plan may emerge from the vast discussions that are developing in recent months about how to build a healthier artificial intelligence. The first step could be a strategic change in the launch of new products. Pharmaceuticals are tested before they are marketed. Driverless cars are tested before they are released to the market. We can probably introduce a requirement to test artificial intelligence before marketing it.
Ruling AI
The European Union has a holistic approach to legislation about digital. The European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles provides an overview of the principles that the European institutions want to pursue and the commitments they have made. Roberto Viola and me have written a book about the Declaration, “Il codice del futuro”, in Italian.
By the way: Non contrapporre rischi ed opportunità nell’intelligenza artificiale
In the meantime
Here are some news worth thinking about, in my opinion.
Moderation activities in Facebook
A journalistic investigation by David Pilling and Madhumita Murgia for the Financial Times has revealed a reality that should make the West think again about social networks. The first lines are mindblowing and the rest needs to be read: «By his own estimate, Trevin Brownie has seen more than 1,000 people being beheaded. In his job, he had to watch a new Facebook video roughly every 55 seconds, he says, removing and categorising the most harmful and graphic content. On his first day, he recalls vomiting in revulsion after watching a video of a man killing himself in front of his three-year-old child.» Financial Times
Content moderators in Kenya who review graphic material on Facebook are suing Meta, the company that owns Facebook, for alleged human rights violations and wrongful termination of contracts. The group of 184 petitioners, who were recruited by San Francisco-based outsourcing company Sama to work in its Nairobi hub, claim that the ceaseless exposure to harmful and graphic content has had severe psychological effects on them. The case, one of the largest of its kind, could have global implications for the employment conditions of content moderators who filter toxic material on social media networks. If successful, they could lead to improved working conditions for thousands of moderators worldwide. Similar cases in the US and Ireland have sought compensation for moderators' mental health issues.
AI and human jobs
Buzzfeed will reduce human jobs and augment artificial intelligence. Jonah Peretti- Founder, Chairman & CEO said: «Over the next few years, generative AI will replace the majority of static content, and audiences will begin to expect all content to be curated and dynamic with embedded intelligence. AI will lead to new formats that are more gamified, more personalized, and more interactive.» BuzzFeed, Inc. (Investor Day)
Spreading disinformation by artificial intelligence
It is not only about democracy. It is about economics and health systems. Disinformation can be used to disrupt governments, infrastructures, health and education systems.
Sam Altman has been frank about the potential dangers of A.I. “It’d be crazy not to be a little bit afraid, and I empathize with people who are a lot afraid,” he said in March. “The current worries that I have are that there are going to be disinformation problems or economic shocks, or something else at a level far beyond anything we’re prepared for.” New York Times
And yet Altman still makes new versions of his AI available without any independent testing.
Twitter and disinformation
Twitter pulls out of voluntary EU disinformation code (BBC, AP)
Vice is out of business
Vice Media files for bankruptcy as ad business suffers (Reuters)
Translation in Europe
Automation is making its way into European Union institutions, and translators are among the first to be affected. High-tech machines using artificial intelligence (AI) have replaced hundreds of translators working for the EU, leading to a downsizing of one of the largest translation departments in Brussels. The European Commission's translation unit has decreased by 17% over the past decade as machine translation has been increasingly utilized. However, translators argue that their role remains essential, as AI cannot replace the human element and the need for expert validation. While automation has improved efficiency and reduced costs, it has also led to mental health issues and burnout among translators. The outsourcing of translation work has increased, and the number of permanent translator positions has declined. Young translators complain about fewer job opportunities and an increased workload. Despite these challenges, translators still play a crucial role in sensitive tasks and are evolving their daily routine to include post-editing machine-translated texts. They hope that the EU's expanding use of social media may create new opportunities for their profession. (Politico)
If you are interested in languages and machine translation: tomorrow we will talk about the new Imminent Annual Report.
Please take a look at Reimagine Europa. A Media Ecology Research Network is being build in Bruxelles and it grows every day. I will be informing on that more in the next issues. Reimagine Europa.
In previous Media Ecology:
May 11th - I’m a prompt man
April 21th – The truth about fake
April 7th – CheatGPT
March 31th – Artificial intelligencija
March 16th – The method is the message
February 9th – Epistemology of AI
Podcasts in Italian, by me
L’altra metà del verso. Rai Radio 3
Media Ecology. Intesa Sanpaolo on air
Eppur s’innova. Luiss University Press
Ecology of screens
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