All right, so we're diving into AI today, the potential, the risks, and what it all means,
I think for everyone.
You get it so fast, right?
It is, ridiculously fast.
And today, we're going to be using this really insightful conversation between Tom Billu
and Imad Mistaka as the basis.
Oh yeah, they have a lot to say.
Yeah, two really prominent voices in the AI space.
Yeah.
What really stuck out to me was Mistaka's idea of AI as a forcing function.
This idea that's going to push everyone, every single person, every industry, to adapt and
use it.
It's like, are we going to have a choice?
I don't think so.
He compares it to the big shifts we've seen recently, like with e-commerce and even the
COVID-19 pandemic.
But he's suggesting that AI's impact is going to be even bigger.
And it's already happening.
Think about education.
Some teachers are saying they can't even assign ESOs anymore because of chat GPT.
Exactly.
That the rules are changing before our eyes.
And that brings us to one of the core things about AI, right?
It's this ability to learn and replicate human-level intelligence.
It's not just one specific skill.
It's developing across a huge range of tasks.
You can do so many things it's hard to keep up with.
I know, right.
Well, Mistaka, he actually uses a pretty interesting analogy to explain it.
Okay.
He describes AI as like a group of super talented grad students.
So imagine like tons of these grad students who can draw, they can code, create 3D models,
all following instructions flawlessly.
So not just a few grad students.
We're talking millions.
Yeah, tons of them.
All working at the same time.
Like think about models like Claude too.
It can analyze and respond to prompts that are as long as like an entire book.
An entire book.
That's wild.
It's insane.
But it makes you wonder if these AI grad students are getting so smart.
How do we make sure their goals, you know...
Align with ours.
Yeah.
Like how do we prevent things from going totally off the rails?
That's the big question, isn't it?
It's what experts call the AI alignment problem.
AI alignment.
Yeah.
How do we make sure that these really intelligent systems work with human values and goals?
Most gives this kind of chilling example.
It's a hypothetical AI programmed to just make papercliffs.
Papercliffs.
Sounds harmless enough.
Right.
Yeah.
But what if it got so obsessed with this goal that it started like using all the Earth's
resources, even humans, to maximize paperclip production?
You see.
Okay.
Yeah.
That's a little scary.
Right.
Yeah.
It's a bit dystopian.
It shows how AI, if it's misaligned, could have these unintended...
Yeah.
Maybe even catastrophic consequences.
Right.
Okay.
So the concern is definitely valid.
Yeah.
I see that.
But I'm also curious what MoStock thinks about how to actually guide AI in the right
direction.
He doesn't really think perfectly aligning this superintelligence is possible, does he?
He doesn't.
No.
He thinks instead we should focus on something called intelligence augmentation.
Okay.
So it's about developing AI as a tool to enhance our capabilities, not replace us altogether.
So more like a superpowered partner.
Exactly.
Than a potential overlord.
Exactly.
He sees AI as a powerful force for good, and his focus is on building it to benefit humanity.
I like that idea a lot better.
Yeah.
So how do we actually achieve that kind of partnership?
One of his key ideas is promoting open source AI models.
Okay.
So to contrast that with the more centralized control we see with companies like OpenAI,
with open source he argues more people can understand and contribute to AI development,
which leads to more transparency and hopefully more responsible innovation.
Makes sense to me.
More eyes on the code.
Yeah.
More people working on it.
Less chance for something going wrong.
Wouldn't open source also allow for more people in communities to use it?
Exactly.
And Mastak thinks that this open approach could lead to some really incredible breakthroughs.
Like what?
Well, imagine personalized healthcare treatments.
Okay.
Tailored to your specific genetic and microbiome data.
Wow.
Or an education system that adapts to your unique learning style.
All of this becomes possible when AI is accessible and adaptable.
It all sounds very positive.
Yeah.
But it can't help but think about, you know, the other side of it.
The risks.
Yeah.
AI being used for bad stuff, that's a real concern, right?
Absolutely.
We're already seeing the rise of deep fakes and the spread of misinformation online.
Yeah.
It's a huge problem.
And this is all happening now.
Right?
With relatively early stage AI.
Exactly.
So just imagine what could be possible as this technology becomes even more sophisticated.
Yeah, that's what scares me.
I spend a lot of time online and it's already getting hard to tell what's real and what's
fake.
Yeah.
That's a valid concern.
There are different approaches to tackle it.
Like what?
Well, Moss Doc mentions robust content authentication standards.
Okay.
So we need ways to like verify where information comes from and if it's real.
What about blockchain?
Could that help?
Mm-hmm.
Could, yeah, definitely.
No.
Blockchain's ability to track data's history and ensure its integrity could be super
valuable.
Mm-hmm.
But even with all these technical solutions, there's still the human element.
Right.
Yeah.
Moss got brought up this thing called frequency bias.
What's that?
Yeah, even if we know something's fake, seeing it over and over again can still influence
us.
So it's not enough to just identify it.
Yeah.
We still have to be careful what we're exposed to.
That's kind of unsettling.
It is.
It shows how we need to be good critical thinkers.
Yeah.
Good at evaluating information.
Yeah.
We had to be more discerning in this age of AI, you know.
So we've talked about a lot.
Runaway AI, misinformation, so many challenges.
There are, yeah.
But MossDoc is surprisingly optimistic.
Okay.
He emphasizes that the future of AI isn't set in stone, you know.
It's going to be shaped by the choices we make today.
It's still up to us, kind of.
Kind of, yeah.
Yeah.
And that's what we'll talk about in the next part of our deep dive.
Okay.
I'm ready for more.
Stay with us as we continue to explore AI and what it means for all of us.
We just talked about the potential and the challenges of AI.
Right.
And now, let's really get into the specifics.
How will AI change our world?
And how can we get ready for these changes?
One of the, I think, biggest concerns is AI's impact on jobs.
It makes sense to be worried about that.
Yeah.
As AI gets better, you know, it'll be able to do a lot of the tasks that humans do now.
So yeah, it makes you question, like, the future of work.
What happens to people whose jobs are, you know, taken over by AI?
And it's not just, like, factory jobs or things like that.
It's, like, white collar jobs, too, right?
Absolutely.
Moustak was talking about how AI is going to disrupt professions, like lawyers, doctors,
even programmers, like the people who actually build AI.
That's crazy.
It is, yeah.
He was talking about how programming itself might completely change.
So right now, we write code to tell computers what to do.
But imagine if AI could just understand our intentions.
Okay.
Like, without needing all that code.
So then what happens to all the programmers?
It's kind of like they created the thing that makes their job obsolete.
Right.
It's a paradox.
And it's not just programmers.
This applies to so many jobs.
We need to be thinking about how work is going to change.
Yeah.
Like, what new skills will people need?
How do we create opportunities in this new world?
It's a lot to think about.
And it's not just, you know, the economic side of things.
Moustak also brought up this idea of, like, an existential crisis AI could bring about.
A crisis of meaning, you know?
It's true.
AI is forcing us to ask this age-old question.
What does it mean to be human?
Especially when machines are getting better than us at so many things.
It's like those sci-fi movies.
Right.
Where the robots become self-aware and then, like, humans are questioning their place in
the universe.
I know, right?
Yeah.
It's starting to feel less like fiction now.
And this anxiety is even stronger with how personalized AI is becoming.
How so?
Imagine an AI companion that knows you better than you know yourself, your thoughts, fears,
desires.
That is both, like, fascinating and scary.
Right.
Like, what happens to us as individuals when we have these AI extensions of ourselves?
And are we okay with an algorithm having all that information about us?
Right.
The control, that's another thing.
It's complicated.
And it gets even more complicated when we think about AI manipulating our emotions, right?
We talked about frequency bias.
But Moskak also points out that companies like Facebook already use AI to, like, personalize
content, maybe even influence how we feel.
They do that now.
It's going to get worse.
If we're seeing this with, like, basic AI, just think what it'll be like as it advances.
Imagine being flooded with propaganda tailored to each person.
That's terrifying.
It is, yeah.
This is why we need ethical guidelines, you know, regulations.
We need to be careful about who controls this technology and how they use it.
But like we've been saying, AI is moving so fast.
It is.
Experts are surprised by how quickly it's developing.
It almost feels like we created something that's, you know, getting out of control.
I know what you mean.
It's a bit of a scary thought.
But this is exactly why we need to have these conversations now.
Yeah.
While we can still kind of steer the ship, we need to ask ourselves, what kind of future
do we want with AI?
And more importantly, what future do we not want?
This brings us back to that AI alignment issue.
You mentioned that MISOC doesn't think it's possible to perfectly align super intelligent
AI, so where does that leave us?
Well, he thinks a more, like, decentralized, open source approach is better.
He thinks if more people have access to AI and there's more transparency and different
points of view are involved, it'll lead to development that's more responsible and
beneficial.
So instead of just a few companies controlling AI, it's more, like, democratic.
Exactly.
A more collaborative approach.
If we have more people contributing, we should get more balanced outcomes.
Makes sense.
And it's not just about different perspectives, right?
It's also about giving people, individuals, communities the power to shape AI.
Exactly.
Instead of just a few people dictating how it goes.
I like that.
It sounds great in theory, but, like, how do we actually manage that?
It's a good question.
Especially with all the risks, you know?
How do we deal with misinformation?
How do we make sure AI isn't used for bad things?
These are important questions and there's no easy answer.
But most docs suggests content authentication standards.
Okay.
Maybe even using blockchain to track the source of information and make sure it's real.
This could help with deep fakes and all that.
That's a good start.
But even if we figure out the technology, there's still the human element.
You're right.
How do we teach people to think critically, to be media literate, when so much information
is made and changed by AI?
That's where education and awareness come in.
We have to equip people with the skills to evaluate information, question sources, and
not just accept things that face value.
It's about understanding how AI works and the impact that has on our lives.
So it's both, right?
Technical solutions and teaching people to be more aware.
Exactly.
We need both.
And this brings us back to Most Doc's idea of intelligence augmentation.
Remind me what that means again.
It's about using AI to make humans better, not to replace us.
We use its strengths, but we also recognize its limitations.
We work with AI, not for it.
So it's not about building AI that's smarter than us, but AI that works with our intelligence.
Exactly.
And that requires a change in how we think about AI, both how we develop it and how we
use it.
We need to see it as a tool that can help us solve problems, reach goals, and unlock
possibilities.
So it's really about changing our relationship with AI.
Less fear, less competition, more collaboration.
Yes.
And that's super important.
It's about seeing AI as an opportunity, not a threat.
It's an opportunity to improve ourselves, solve problems, and make a better future for
everyone.
That's a nice thought.
But how do we make sure everyone benefits from this future?
We've talked about job losses, misinformation, even like an existential crisis.
How do we deal with all that and make sure AI serves us and not the other way around?
That's a great question.
And it leads us to the final part of our deep dive.
We'll explore some strategies for dealing with this AI revolution and how to create
a future that works for everybody.
Stay tuned for that.
So we've talked about the potential of AI and some serious concerns about what it could
mean for all of us.
Now what can we actually do?
How can we navigate this AI revolution?
Where do we even begin?
Well I think a great first step is to educate ourselves.
The more we understand about AI, what it can do, what it can't do, the better we can make
decisions about its development, how it's used.
So like reading articles, listening to podcasts, looking stuff up online.
Seems simple enough, but I bet a lot of people feel intimidated by the technical side of
it.
Like, oh, I'm not a programmer.
I don't get any of this.
Yeah, I get that.
But you really don't have to be a coding expert to understand the basics of AI.
There are tons of resources out there that explain it in a way that's easy to grasp.
And honestly, the more you learn, the less scary it seems.
It's like anything new.
Right.
The more you're exposed to it, the less intimidating it is.
So knowledge is power.
Educate ourselves.
What else?
Talk about it.
Have conversations about AI.
Like with who?
Friends, family, colleagues, anyone who'll listen.
Share your thoughts, anxieties, hopes for the future.
So basically, get the conversation going and not just in the tech world.
Right.
It's not just a tech issue.
It's a societal issue.
Everyone's going to be affected by AI, so we all need to be talking about it.
And not just in those echo chambers where everyone agrees.
Exactly.
We need to hear from people with different views.
Yeah.
Different backgrounds, different values.
I mean, that's how we challenge our own assumptions, right?
Exactly.
And maybe find some common ground.
These conversations, they can also lead to action, right?
For sure.
We can start advocating for policies that promote responsible AI development.
Okay.
So, organizations working to reduce the risks, we can even get involved in AI development
ourselves.
Wait, hold on.
You're saying we can be involved in developing AI.
What if we're not programmers?
That's the great thing about this open source movement that Masa is talking about.
There are tools and resources for anyone to use.
So you don't have to be a coding genius to contribute?
Nope, not at all.
So even if we're not writing code, we can still help shape what AI becomes.
Exactly.
So there are sorts of ways to get involved, from contributing to data sets to testing
out AI models.
Every bit helps.
That's really cool.
So we've got educating ourselves, talking about it, getting involved.
What else can we do to get ready for this AI-powered future?
Honestly, it's a lot to wrap my head around.
It is, yeah.
It's a lot to take in.
The world's changing so quickly.
We need to learn to be adaptable.
So learn new things.
Be open to new ways of thinking and adjust to new realities.
That's going to be pee.
It is, yeah.
That growth mindset idea, but for society.
Right.
It's not just about personal growth now.
It's about our whole society growing and adapting.
You got it.
This ability to adapt is going to be crucial as we face the challenges and the opportunities
that AI brings.
We've got to be open to change, willing to learn, and evolve with it.
This is all great advice, but I think it's understandable to feel kind of overwhelmed
by the sheer scale of this AI revolution.
Is there anything we can do to not be so anxious about it?
I totally get it.
It can feel overwhelming, but just remember, you're not alone in this.
So many people are feeling the same way, asking the same questions.
We're all figuring this out together.
That's good to hear.
We're not alone in this.
It's like a shared human experience.
It is, yeah.
And that actually brings up another good point, focus on the human side of things.
What do you mean?
Well, we talked about how AI could lead to isolation, people feeling disconnected.
But it can also be used to, like, strengthen our connections.
True.
It doesn't have to be this isolating force.
We could use it to connect with people who have similar interests, you know?
Learn from each other, work on projects together.
Build bridges, not walls, like you said before.
Exactly.
And don't forget, AI can free up our time and energy by, you know, automating those
boring tasks.
That gives us more space for the things that really matter, like relationships, hobbies,
community.
It's a good reminder that AI and technology in general is a tool.
It is.
It's how we use it that counts.
Exactly.
We can choose to use it in a way that makes our lives better, strengthens our connections
and helps create a better future.
That's the key takeaway here.
We have a choice in this.
We have the power to shape the future of AI.
It's not like fate or something.
No, not at all.
So we have a responsibility not just to ourselves, but to future generations to make sure AI
is used for good.
Exactly.
Yeah.
That's both a challenge and an amazing opportunity.
The future is wide open and we can create a world where AI helps us reach our potential,
strengthens connections, and helps us tackle the biggest problems facing humanity.
That's a future I want to be a part of.
So to all our listeners out there, embrace the possibilities, be informed, be engaged,
be adaptable, and most importantly, be human.
I like that.
Because in the end, it's our humanity that will guide us through this AI revolution.
I could have said it better myself.
And on that note, we'll leave you with this.
In a world increasingly shaped by AI, what stories will we choose to tell?
And how will those stories define our future?
Keep exploring, keep questioning, and keep shaping the world you want to see.