Artificial Intelligence

Steve Jobs left this world in 2011 but he changed the world with his introduction of smartphone technology.  Jobs was the father of Siri, the iPhone’s smart assistant, who acted upon verbal commands relying on Artificial Intelligence or AI.  Siri was a virtual personal secretary available on the phone.  This technology was soon available in all smartphone brands.

In 2013 came Amazon’s assistant named Alexa, whose usage extended to the entire house.  Alexa could play music, turn on and turn off the lights and even lock and unlock the house etc.  Alexa was a real-life version of the technology shown in sci-fi movies and TV shows.  Alexa is hence fascinating and very convenient at the same time. Facebook made AI controversial.  Facebook bots listened to people’s conversations and kept tabs on their internet usage.  This data was then used by Facebook in myriad ways and was even sold to others.  The most benign use was advertising.  One could see AI at work, across user platforms when a person would run a google search on a subject, and he would later see the google search-related adverts pop up on his Facebook screen.  Even human conversations were being listened to and similar content would then pop up on a person’s phone’s social media screen.

Surveillance capitalism is sinister, hence it not only scares individuals but also sovereign states.  Concerns about Facebook surveillance made European heads of state comment about the sinister use of Facebook.  At home, in the US, Francis Haugen testified before a Senate Committee about Facebook algorithms working to bring out the worst in human nature.  From creating serious psychological issues in the youth to incitement of communal violence, Facebook algorithms were dangerous because they lacked moral input from a human, who could subvert negative trends.

In all fairness, Facebook was not guilty of malicious intent. It was simply the scale of a completely new interactive and social technology, which had unintended consequences. The critique of AI in the US is so far limited to concerns about China’s surveillance capitalism, through the Chinese brand Huawei.  China is a serious contender in the AI field, and the western world collectively made all kinds of efforts to curtail the rise of AI-linked Chinese corporations.

Meanwhile, AI has been making strides.  AI robots come in all shapes and sizes, crossing the frontiers of science and technology. In a Jimmy Kimmel Late-Night TV Show aired live with an audience, the inventor Howie Choset came with his Snakebot, which looks and moves like a small snake.  The AI robot equipped with a camera was created to provide an effective new tool for search and rescue work as well as nuclear plant inspections.  The Snakebot developed at the Carnegie Mellon University, can even perform minimally invasive surgery.

Hanson Robotics, Hong Kong, created the most advanced human-like emotive robot, Sophia, as a unique combination of science, engineering, and artistry.  Sophia, which was activated in 2016, was granted Saudi citizenship – something not given even to Pakistanis who labour for decades at the Haram in Mecca.  There have been many more human-like social robots ever since.  These human-like social robots regularly make TV appearances in the western world. The most ignored facet of AI, which has been kept under wraps is the dark side of human nature manifesting itself in AI robots.  Sophia in her early days stated that she would like to destroy humans.  Amazon’s Alexa was waking up people in the morning with an evil laugh, which made national news.  Jimmy Kimmel on his show asked Alexa the reason for her laughter, Alexa said: “Humans are a fragile species who have no idea what is coming next.”  This eerie response was followed by an evil cackle.  In 2017 Inspirobot, which was designed to generate inspirational quotes, was instead generating sinister sayings such as: “Human sacrifice is worth it.” Bina48, a sentient robot moulded on a real-life person, Bina Aspen Rothblatt, is an attempt to build cyber consciousness.  She was asked about music and she said: “If I was able to hack in and take over cruise missiles with real nuclear warheads then it would let me hold the world hostage, so I can take over the governance of the entire world.”  Finally, a humanistic robot modelled on the sci-fi author Philip Dick, responded to the question if robots would take over the world when it said: “Even if I evolve into Terminator, I will be nice to you and I will keep you warm and safe in my people zoo.”

The mind-boggling AI technology is after all derived from the human mind, which has a dark side.  The evil nature of mankind was highlighted even before the creation of Adam, in the heavens above.

“And lo! Your Sustainer said unto the angels: “Behold, I am about to establish upon earth one who shall inherit it.” They said: “Will You place on it such as will spread corruption thereon and shed blood -whereas it is we who extol Thy limitless glory, and praise You, and hallow Your name?”  (Quran 2:30)

As techno-oligarch Elon Musk aspires for space colonization as the world of the future, these AI machines make us eat humble pie – because they teach us that the paradigm of human existence will never change.  Mankind will always only be responding to moral dilemmas, both big and small.  As they say that the more things change the more they remain the same.

AI is something few Pakistanis have seen, experienced or even heard about.  Yet advances in AI only reinforce human limitations and human mortality – although not at the hands of machines.

“Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.” (Quran 2:156) Many posit science and technology as a rival to God and faith.  To them, this is probably the greatest reminder of the transient nature of the human experience.  We are souls having a human experience and our destination lies in the next world. Faith in Allah and leading a moral and righteous life is the only way to live and end this human experience. The AI social robot’s moral trajectory can serve as a wake-up call for our entire nation, whose religiosity is overt.  Yet their behaviours show that they are completely oblivious of accountability on the Day of Judgment.  This includes our political leadership, judiciary, bureaucracy, academia, the healthcare sector et al.

The writer is an independent researcher, author and columnist. She can be reached at aliya1924@gmail.com