I can barely type on my keyboard, I don’t excel at Excel, and I’ve deservedly been called a “boomer” when talking tech. So why should my opinion on AI matter? Well, because I just read a 300-page book on it. Because I’m a 30+ year attorney trained to study complex issues and simplify them for clients. And because I really am a boomer. I’ve lived through decades of social, economic, political, and technological revolutions. So there. My opinion counts.
And by the way, that’s what book reviews are. Opinions from people who actually read the book. Here’s mine. This book is worth the read, especially if you are completely freaked out by AI and convinced it is inevitably going to end the world.
The authors, two scientists and Princeton professors, succinctly explain why and how that outcome is not “inevitable,” or at least no more inevitable than nuclear war, lab-leak pandemics, or other man-made disasters caused by bad actors rather than machines.
Did you know AI has been around for decades? Until I read this book, I didn’t. Perhaps the current “hype” around AI is really just increased awareness that the technology has improved in certain areas. What has not been hyped is that it has not improved, and may never improve, in many others. Perhaps big, profit-driven tech companies would like us to believe AI is the solution to everything, and that they alone can build, deliver, and manage it.
The book also discusses the role of big business and regulation. You may be surprised to learn that too much regulation can have unintended consequences. As always, the goal is just enough regulation. My key takeaway, however, was the importance of international regulation, not just domestic rules. International cooperation and strong global relationships are more vital than ever. These relationships, not the technology itself, are the most important factor in protecting the care and well-being of nearly six billion people worldwide.
Some may argue that if our relationships within the United States are this polarized, how can we expect international cooperation? Fair point. The bigger point is that this has always been the challenge. It is about relationships, not AI in and of itself.
You could read my take as overly optimistic or a stick-your-head-in-the-sand assessment. That is also fair. But if we have survived, and arguably thrived, through countless life-threatening challenges, we may survive or even thrive with AI in our lives too.
Maybe read the book and let me know what you think. Humanity, and I, need to know.
By Attorney Anthony Falco CEO/Founder of Senior Resource Center Inc.
