Winston Churchill and Armageddon - Is an AI Terminator in the Breech?


I was giving my children some long term investment advice, but caveated it with my growing unease that it could be moot.. I am reading a book my son gave me titled, "Churchill's Trials" In the book, I learned Winston Churchill nearly 100 years ago wrote some things, that I believe may unfortunately be quite prescient. In his 1924 essay, “Shall We Commit Suicide?” Churchill states, “the story of the human race is war. Except for brief and precarious interludes, there has never been peace in the world... From his propensity to slaughter man has been saved so far only by his incompetence"...As the years passed, Churchill hoped science might be an antidote that elevated mankind, over time lost that hope.” Churchill over many decades observed technical superiority rather than virtue or social virtue was the determinator of which society ultimately triumphed in war and that science could also lead to moral degeneration. In 1931 Churchill wrote, “Science and organization bring prosperity, a blessing to man, but the factors of production are also factors of destruction...Death stands at attention ready to serve and shear away the people en masse...Mankind is progressing toward destruction. Only an improvement in certain virtues of man-especially the virtue of 'wiser guidance' stands in the way of his elimination...“ My ongoing courses and investigation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been both fascinating and alarming. Most recently I was privy to learn more about a recent DARPA project that is investigating AI versus human pilots in the domain of tactical military fighters. Artificial Intelligence Easily Beats Human Fighter Pilot It gave me pause how easily and mercilessly several fighters could best a human fighter pilot in regimes that many of my fighter pilot colleagues never thought possible. Previously dubious fighter pilots listening to the brief were alarmed enough to begin asking how we could ensure how ethical considerations would be addressed as this arena advances. Admittedly AI in the realm of flying a fighter aircraft application is only in its infancy and this trial was just a simulator. But the burgeoning potential for a "Terminator" outcome from our adversaries if not us. Ray Kurzweill's "Singularity is Approaching" when machines eclipse Homo Sapiens is no longer conjecture. And I am become more certain it will happen in my children's lifetime. So what we you do? Live and love with wisdom and virtue ala Anthony de Mello's mantra in the "The Way to Love" and maybe make that will make the difference in society that Churchill wrote was needed... But also prepare for what I think is likely coming... A very very different world. To that end I recommend reading "Homo Deus"at your earliest opportunity. And to help assurge the fear , Eckhart Tolle's "Power of Now" and Cave's "Immortality" La Vita e Bella per oggi

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