As I comtemplate the many ways that recent AI tools will alter life as we know it, the one that I find less talked about is how it will change the view we have of ourselves, our basic philosophy of human nature. We are certainly very speciest, but we also believe we are much more than just the best information processing meat machine on the planet. We believe humans are something very special in many ways that can’t be reduced to just information processing power. As AI becomes more integrated into everyone’s lives, I think there will be a surge in philosophical discussion about what it means to be human, and how this differs from AI or AGI. The evolution of AI was accelerated when the approach was changed to follow the principles of how the human brain operates. Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT were designed with the ability to learn and adapt through weakening or strengthening of nodes or “synapses,” all part of a larger “neural network.” As we allow AI to evolve, the complexity and capability it possesses will quickly surpass the human brain on measures of cognition and reasoning.

I just listened to an episode of the Ezra Klein podcast today, interviewing Erik Davis. They discussed whether AI may cause us to repeat the past, or get stuck in a loop, given that it is being trained on what is essentially the written history of our world. They were questioning whether or not AI would be able to match what humans have done in creating novel and creative ideas and culture. To me this felt like they were overestimating humans or underestimating AI, not to mention that history already repeats itself quite well without AI. Everything we know about the brain suggests that AI will be capable of not only matching, but surpassing human’s ability to advance our knowledge and understanding of this world, including our own nature.

And the view from ChatGPT-3.5:

write a 100 word essay on how the human brain and artificial intelligence are similar.

The human brain and artificial intelligence (AI) are similar in their core objective: processing information to perform tasks and make decisions. Both rely on neural networks, with the human brain’s intricate web of neurons and synapses serving as inspiration for AI’s artificial neural networks. These networks process data, recognize patterns, and learn through experience. Both systems possess remarkable adaptability, as evidenced by the brain’s plasticity and AI’s machine learning capabilities. Additionally, they use feedback loops to improve and optimize their performance. Despite these similarities, it is crucial to acknowledge that AI is still far from emulating the human brain’s full complexity and consciousness.