ADRIENNE MAYOR
Those who warn almost the potential dangers as well as unintended consequences of artificial word as well as machine learning are correct to invoke Pandora as well as her jounce of miseries. In fact, the myth of Pandora is genuinely to a greater extent than appropriate than many realize, non for what it says almost naive curiosity, but for what it tells us almost humankind's human relationship amongst technology. In discussions almost the implications of artificial word (AI), someone almost e'er evokes the ancient Greek myth of Pandora’s box. In the modern fairytale version of the story, Pandora is depicted every bit a tragically curious immature adult woman who opens a sealed urn as well as inadvertently releases eternal misery on humankind. Like the genie that has escaped the bottle, the Equus caballus that has fled the barn, as well as the prepare that has left the station, the myth has acquire a cliché. And yet the actual floor of Pandora is far to a greater extent than apropos to debates almost AI as well as machine learning than many realize. What it shows is that it is amend to hear to “Prometheans” who are concerned almost humanity’s futurity than “Epimetheans” who are easily dazzled past times the prospect of short-term gains.
One of the oldest Greek myths, the floor of Pandora was commencement recorded to a greater extent than than 2,500 years ago, inwards the fourth dimension of Homer. In the master copy telling, Pandora was non to a greater extent than or less innocent daughter who succumbed to the temptation to opened upwards a forbidden jar. Rather, every bit the poet Hesiod tells us, Pandora was “made, non born.” Having been commissioned past times all-powerful Zeus as well as designed to his roughshod specifications past times Hephaestus, the god of invention, Pandora was a lifelike android created to aspect similar a bewitching maiden. Her role was to entrap mortals every bit a manifestation of kalos kakon: “evil hidden inwards beauty.”
Pandora’s holler agency “all gifts,” as well as reflects the fact that all of the gods contributed to her composition. After her creation inwards Hephaestus’s forge, Hermes escorted the ravishing immature “woman” downwards to world as well as presented her every bit a bride to Epimetheus. Her dowry was the fateful sealed jounce containing to a greater extent than “gifts.”
Epimetheus was blood brother to Prometheus, the rebel titan who championed – and, past times to a greater extent than or less accounts, created – humankind. Prometheus was concerned amongst humans’ obvious vulnerability, so he taught men as well as women how to utilization burn downwards as well as other tools responsibly. But this enraged Zeus, a merciless tyrant who jealously guarded his exclusive access to awesome technologies. As punishment, Zeus jump Prometheus to a stone as well as sent his drone-like eagle – also forged past times Hephaestus – to feed on his liver.
For her part, Pandora was deliberately devised to punish humankind for accepting the gift of burn downwards from Prometheus. Essentially a seductive AI fembot, she had no parents, childhood memories, or emotions of whatever kind, nor would she ever historic menses or die. She was programmed to deport out ane malevolent mission: to insinuate herself inwards an earthly setting as well as so unseal the jar.
But that is however non the whole story. As Plato tells us, Prometheus’s holler agency “foresight,” because he was e'er looking ahead, different his carefree brother, Epimetheus, whose holler agency “hindsight.” As the to a greater extent than rational as well as justifiably paranoid of the two, Prometheus tried to warn his blood brother non to direct Zeus’s unsafe gift. But Epimetheus was charmed past times Pandora as well as heedlessly welcomed her into his life. Only afterward did he come upwards to realize his terrible error.
The pop picture of Pandora reeling dorsum inwards horror every bit a cloud of evil swarms out of the jounce is thence a modern invention. So, too, is the cloying picture of Hope emerging from the vessel concluding to soothe men’s souls. In classical Greek renditions, Pandora is depicted every bit a cunning automaton: the most famous vase paintingof her shows a immature adult woman standing stiffly amongst an uncanny smile.
Moreover, inwards antiquity, Hope was personified every bit a immature adult woman named Elpis, as well as commonly stood for a lack of foresight. Rather than a boon, Hope signified an inability to aspect ahead or direct sensibly amidst possible outcomes; she represented wishful thinking, non life-sustaining optimism. And for the Greeks, she was only to a greater extent than or less other manifestation of kalos kakon: a beautiful evil that had been unleashed upon humans. Hence, at to the lowest degree ane ancient creative someone depictedElpis/Hope, much similar Pandora, amongst a smirking grin.
With AI/machine learning rapidly evolving into a “black box” technology, the symbol of Pandora’s sealed jounce has taken on novel meaning. Soon, the operational logic of AI decision-making systems volition live inscrutable non only to their users, but also to their creators. Among other threats, the possibility that AI systems volition live hacked past times malign actors, or deployed past times terrorists as well as tyrants, forthwith looms large.
When Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, MIT’s Andrew McAfee, Lili Cheng of Microsoft, as well as other AI optimists assure us that AI volition bring nifty benefits, ane cannot aid but recall of Epimetheus as well as Elpis. Should nosotros genuinely trust humanity to adapt as well as troubleshoot the problems posed past times AI every bit they arise?
It seems wiser to hear modern-day Promethean thinkers such every bit the belatedly Stephen Hawking, Microsoft founder polls advise that optimism almost the potential benefits of AI has dropped significantly amidst those who are genuinely developing AI systems. An agreement of how AI plant would seem to correlate amongst to a greater extent than realistic expectations. Rather than blind hope, foresight based on cognition as well as sense should principle how nosotros acquire by the futurity of this engineering as well as our human relationship amongst it.
Buat lebih berguna, kongsi:
