Electricity (generation/distribution), telephone, vacuum tubes, integrated circuits, personal computer, software, internet, smartphones and artificial intelligence.

What do all of these have in common?

Exponential growth and interdependence.

For each we saw immense increases in productivity, time efficiency, economical/quality of life uplifts and more. All were built on top of centuries (some cases millennia) of knowledge and each is dependent, foundationally, on one another.

Artificial Intelligence is the next great chapter that will impact humanity in ways we’ve never seen before. HAL 9000 will not be a fantastical element of a movie, but a reality.

As with most technological advances, there is a rush of excitement and futuristic daydreaming. We tend to assume that the pros will heavily outweigh the cons, at least this is the thesis that powers huge investments and rapid development in the sectors.

We’ve seen it before and the replay is at hand, the escape velocity of our time.

However, in 2024, the best AI models out there still cannot outperform children at basic reasoning. This is because they do not possess “intelligence” in the manner we as humans perceive.

At this stage, most of the large language models are statistical pattern matching systems that operate at higher dimensions that our minds cannot fathom. They can pattern match and connect the dots for topics that even we couldn’t even anticipate, delighting us with their outputs.

This is a different form of intelligence but it requires different perspectives, interpretations and adaptations. For this post, I will not delve deeper but jump a couple iterations ahead and ask, where are we heading and what is necessary for the end-game AI?

If you look at the human brain, it is an electrical system that consists of many systems. The prefrontal cortex manages executive actions, the hippocampus provides our ability to learn, recall and memorize, the amygdala regulates our emotions and reward processing and so on.

We still have much to uncover about the brain but it’s the result of evolution and growth in the natural world over an immense span of time.

My prediction is that “true” artificial intelligence will arrive when human-brain derivatives born in the lab will be matched with digital systems creating a intricate hybrid complex.

This combines the optimal parts of nature and the artificial.

When they become stable and usable, quantum systems will also be integrated. This is where the form of “super” artificial intelligence starts to present itself. The arms race is already at hand and whoever wins this technological war will wield power immeasurable reaping major benefits. The ripple effect that will impact centuries to come.

I hope it is evident. As we move towards this future, we must consider the profound implications. Decisions made now could lead to great wonders or significant dangers. We need to unite as a collective, making informed decisions that balance the potential benefits and risks.

We must wake up to this revolution, this Enlightenment v2 of our times. It will require ingenuity, novel approaches and risk calculations with a pioneering spirit. We will need to work together on new protocols, foundational elements and beyond; innovations and standards that that will be used for generations to come. Let’s meet these challenges head-on, together, ensuring that the future of AI benefits all of humanity.

If you’re interested in working on revolutionary AI and the future, reach out and connect!