In the upside case, the metaverse turns out to be more like something on the order of the iPhone. It can be a new container for software and a new computer interaction thing.
While AI turns out to be something on the order of a legitimate technological Revolution.
Here’s a longer clip of Sam Altman explaining and expanding on his vision for the “technological revolution” of AI. Some of this is excerpted in the previous AI post, but he’s got a lot more to say. Some might be seen as the sorts of things the CEO of OpenAI might likely say to position his company for further investment and growth. But then we also need to realize few know the current capabilities and future potentials of AI more than he.
He’s asked what human life might be like further down the road of this technological revolution, and his speculation sounded to this observer as revealing the sort of life that Mr. Altman enjoys now. We might all say similar if asked.
We can’t actually imagine the unknown, though of course we try through various Sci-Fi manifestations and narratives and fantasy worlds.
Much to ponder.
The “problem of alignment” is noted…what if AI has goals of its own that don’t align with our human goals? Doesn’t sound like that is likely to be solved soon, though Sam speculates we’ll tell the AI what it can’t or shouldn’t do…Asimov’s Robot Laws. The problem of “bad robots” in alignment with “bad humans” would seemingly still remain.
One already wonders what totalitarian governments are musing about as they watch Sam set out the future. If TikTok and various other “social media” outcomes are any example, the laws and government oversight even in democracies will trail badly behind. So this progress and advancement in human capability will also come with new costs, and we would do well to keep a vigilant eye on those developments too.
But the excitement for new ways of “doing humanity”, new forms of economies, new ways of working and learning, new forms of healthcare and disease conquering are real. Education is noted as a likely area of great change with AI tutors and the metaverse making a new learning environment in one vision.