Project Humanity // The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Ai

Congratulations to the winners of the latest Project Humanity activity!

Project Humanity is all about exploring the ethics behind Artificial Intelligence (Ai) and our interactions with it.

In the first phase we were seeking stories from The Sense Network that capture our hopes and fears for the future of Ai. Thank you to everyone who has gotten involved in Project Humanity! Your responses have shown us, more than ever, the importance of this project.

Congratulations to the three winners of the shout-out. We will be contacting you shortly to organise the delivery of your prize:

Ioana L. for the most gripping story. We really love how you painted this picture, you really made us feel like we were in 2050 Rotterdam!

“As I look out the window not much has changed, I think back to the mechanical sounds of 30 years ago. I play a video of a highway in reminiscence.

The weather is a little greyer than usual, it’s that time of the month for Rotterdam, a heavy cloud of nano robots reflect the excess rays back at the sun. The clouds circle the globe in an attempt to maintain the optimal thickness of the ozone layer. The cities networks are all interconnected, a seamless, touch-less urban experience. The need to interact with another while in transit is minimum, I bump into strangers to remember what disturbance felt like. The city senses all my moves and deducts points for my misbehaviour, I appeal the decision calming I tripped.

We no longer call each other citizens, hackers best describes our interaction with each other. We hack our boredom, we hack our furniture, we hack our virtual personas, tech literacy is at its peak.

The world is much slower, competition has become redundant with the redistribution of wealth for the implementation of universal basic income. The algorithms predicted it would be a much kinder existence to eradicate the growth economy and revive the gift economy. Billionaires have gone extinct in 2040, and most of the decision making is done by Decentralised Autonomous Corporations focused on both the wellbeing of human and non-human entities.”

Kate M. for the most inspirational story. Where many turned to a grim Orwellian future you helped us see how Ai might help tackle one of modern days more profound problems, loneliness.

“It makes me think of my Uncle George when he was almost 80 his daughter showed him google street view and he was so overwhelmed and impressed and excited about being able to see in 3 dimensions what any street in the world looked like from where he was sitting he cried. I wonder, what development will make me feel like that when I’m much older? I’ll come back to that….

How has Ai changed the world by 2050? I think it has the capacity to reduce loneliness in numerous ways for people. People, in theory, could already have robots that help them with their medication, remind them of appointments, remember what things they like to watch on tv etc (I’m thinking of the elderly here)…I think developments in Ai on this front could be profound in tackling loneliness, which we know affects physical health detrimentally, so it could mean that older people live longer and have a better, happier quality of life.”

Kevin B. for the most fear provoking story. You spoke of a world where humans are once again divided, one in which we must choose between success or humanity… that scared us!

“Humans are now divided into 2 categories, these are ordinary humans and AI humans. Those who were wealthy in 2030 was able to invest in the next development of human civilisation, this was to become a Ai human. Ai humans are genetically engineered, each human customised and programmed from a wealthy archive of genes and human characteristics. They are even programmed to develop and change new genes and characteristics to maintain with the ever changing world.

Ordinary humans are the same as they always have been, but the gap between the 2 categories are forever widening. Ordinary humans now have to compete with for jobs, food, status and even a romantic partner. Ordinary are bottom of the social ladder, they do not have the cognitive ability to function in the work force. Tribes are now formed in small sections of the discarded skyscrapers.

I am a ordinary human, I wake up on 4000th floor of a half built skyscraper. I am cold and thirsty, I grab my chalk and begin drawing on the wall to plan my next move. I plan it again and again and again and again. I feel helpless. My Bitcoin can finally afford the procedure, I can be an Ai Human next week. But, I don’t want to, I will not be a human anymore, I will not have my own feelings, I will be controlled by something I can not see. What should I do?

I can stay as a human, I have made it this far. But its lonely, my friends are now Ai humans, they are now apart of this efficient soulless machine. Or I can be an Ai Human, I can be stronger, more intelligent and younger.

But….. None of that will be any use, I will then lose my identity. I am not doing it, I am not going to be a Ai human.

I want to be free instead.”

Once again, thank you to everyone who has gotten involved in the project. Your input has been really valuable. Keep your eyes peeled for more updates on Project Humanity. If you want to get involved: Join Project Humanity Here!