# AI won't make us obsolete, our complacency will



## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

Interesting interview by Gary Kasparov.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170616-garry-kasparov-why-the-world-should-embrace-ai

I think his last line, and the title of this thread, seems quite wise.


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## STech (Jun 7, 2016)

Good comments from a pretty intelligent and open minded person.

I remain very divided on AI. On the one hand, I absolutely love the technology, and believe it's an individual's fault for not keeping up their skills, and adapting. On the other hand, I worry about the mass economic repercussions AI will have. AI will profoundly favor the wealthy, and will exponentially speed up the elimination of the middle class.

Deep AI is a whole other ball of wax.


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## new dog (Jun 21, 2016)

AI is going to move forward and will also move into the defence industry. Some may even move into the defence industry and then back to society from there. The displacement of workers and to what and where they go will be a problem for sure.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

I think this is going to be at least as disruptive as the start of the industrial revolution. There, highly trained 7-year apprentices were replaced with machines and unskilled labour with perhaps a few months of training. AI/machine learning will similarly disrupt many lines of work and render a lot of human capital worthless (radiologist training is rapidly going to become near worthless, for instance). This is going to be very painful for a large number of people.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Just like climate change, pollution, nuclear waste.....everyone knows automation is a problem but nobody is doing anything about it.


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## Userkare (Nov 17, 2014)

There's a National Geographic show called "Year Million"; it's not literally meaning 1,000,000 as a calendar date, but some time in the distant future. It's pretty ridiculous, predicting that we'll all be uploading our consciousness into a hive network. Gee, I guess they watched The Matrix and S.T.N.G.'s Borg. 

There are some less far-fetched predictions based on the trends of current technological advancements. They mention the possibility of AI becoming self-aware, and a point that they call "The Singularity" when the artificial intelligence surpasses the capability of its creators, and no longer needs ( or wants ) us around. I'm sure they got that idea from some movie as well, but it does make one wonder if it's possible for a machine to become self aware, and raises the question "what then is 'life'".

It's not something we'll likely see in our lifetime. We'll only be dealing with burger-flipping robots and self driving cars.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

^ That will either happen in <150 years or never.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

Bloomberg North's Amanda Lang interviewed an MS executive who said that Canada is MS' location for deep AI, primarily in Montreal, but also encompassing Waterloo and Vancouver. Who knew we were so instrumental in destroying the world!?


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## STech (Jun 7, 2016)

sags said:


> Just like climate change, pollution, nuclear waste.....everyone knows automation is a problem but nobody is doing anything about it.



LMAO. And that's how it starts :highly_amused:


Rumor has it, that Justin Trudeau will introduce a special tax shortly. He says, that robots don't like selfie's.

Queen Kate in Ontario, will follow suit, with a software surtax, with an additional levy for any machine that's older than 2 years, and isn't the colour green. She says, that her grand daughter is scared of robot clowns, and that software code is way too binary for her liking.

Taxation, taxation on the taxation, and extra taxes will always solve any, and all problems. It work even better when you couple it with out of control government waste, and filing the pockets of your friends. We seriously should start taxing automation before it's too late.


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

sags said:


> Just like climate change, pollution, nuclear waste.....everyone knows automation is a problem but nobody is doing anything about it.


Yeah, they said the same thing about fire, the wheel, the stick...when will humanity ever learn? Life was better in the trees heck, some even think trees were a bad idea and we never should have come out of the oceans.


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## new dog (Jun 21, 2016)

Regardless of what we think it can't be stopped and if we did stop it the world would leave us behind. Worse of all our enemies would use it against us and gain economic advantage over us. Instead we have to find out how we are going to control it and use it in a way that helps and benefits our society and also not leave us defenceless. Of course we will also have to help those who are put out of work because of the new technologies.


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## tygrus (Mar 13, 2012)

I am not scared of the job losses. The automation part will undoubtably make life more efficient.

I wonder more how they stop the AI from randomly searching through the records and seeing all the stupid, horrible stuff its creator has done in the past.


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## bass player (Jan 27, 2016)

sags said:


> Just like climate change, pollution, nuclear waste.....everyone knows automation is a problem but nobody is doing anything about it.


First they said we'd all die in an ice age, then they said the world would die a fiery death. We were also told 30 years ago that we'd all have flying cars by now. None of those has happened yet. So, based on the track record, I'm not buying that AI will take away all our jobs.

You, however, are free to worry as much as you want. Me, I'll just continue on without worrying about another likely failed prediction.


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## olivaw (Nov 21, 2010)

bass player said:


> First they said we'd all die in an ice age, then they said the world would die a fiery death. We were also told 30 years ago that we'd all have flying cars by now. None of those has happened yet. So, based on the track record, I'm not buying that AI will take away all our jobs.
> 
> You, however, are free to worry as much as you want. Me, I'll just continue on without worrying about another likely failed prediction.


Never heard the ice age one. The fiery death (nuclear war) may yet happen. The flying cars were predicted in the Jetsons cartoon and movies - that was for entertainment bass. AI and other forms of automation won't take away ALL jobs, just a lot of them.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

While some don't believe there will be job losses, Royal Bank announces they are letting another 450 people go.

_"As always, *we consolidate where necessary so that we can re-invest in key areas including **digital, data, new technology* as well as investment in high growth business areas," she said._

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/royal-bank-layoffs-1.4170960


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## bass player (Jan 27, 2016)

If job loss is a problem, then maybe we should limit immigration so that existing Canadians can find employment.


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

You've got to love people who pick a small stat like RBC laying off 450 while ignoring the actual "big picture" 

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/06/09/employment-canada-may-2017_n_17014252.html

All to support their theory that "the end is nigh", not like they haven't been around for millennia.


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## csspest (Jun 22, 2017)

Haven't the creators at the heart if AI seen Terminator? it will all end in tears!


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## Koogie (Dec 15, 2014)

I saw Kasparov play Nigel Short at the Savoy Hotel in London in 1993 in person.

No moral to the story. I've had a few drinks this afternoon and am reminiscing. 

Carry on.


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

Userkare said:


> There are some less far-fetched predictions based on the trends of current technological advancements. They mention the possibility of AI becoming self-aware, and a point that they call "The Singularity" when the artificial intelligence surpasses the capability of its creators, and no longer needs ( or wants ) us around. I'm sure they got that idea from some movie as well, but it does make one wonder if it's possible for a machine to become self aware, and raises the question "what then is 'life'".


Maybe the idea came from the 1967 Star Trek Episode, "The Changling".

Nomad: You are the Kirk, the creator. You programmed my function.
Dr. McCoy: [outraged] Well, I'M not the Kirk. Tell ME what your function is.
Nomad: This is one of your units, creator?
Capt. Kirk: Yes, he is.
Nomad: It functions irrationally.
Capt. Kirk: Sometimes, but tell him your function, nevertheless.
Nomad: My function is to probe for biological infestations, to destroy that which is not perfect.


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## new dog (Jun 21, 2016)

What about Amazon getting into groceries, some say this will really get in the way of grocery stores. Not really AI as we are looking at it here but I don't think I will be buying groceries online but you never know for sure.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

There's a thread on that topic.


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## watto (Jun 24, 2017)

So are you saying Amazon will be deciding what we buy and delivering by drone?


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## new dog (Jun 21, 2016)

Drones have a lot of restrictions when flying so I am not sure how far they would be able to go in the delivery world. I would think self driving AI would be the future in deliveries.


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