A Sigh For Cybergenetics By Felica Lamppost

In his speech on the development of AI, Sam Harris effectively uses a variety of rhetorical strategies to show the severity of the situation and make people consider the ethical problems surrounding AI development. Harris makes his talk highly engaging by using vivid language to express the severity of the situation. Before telling the audience what he will be talking about, Harris gives them a hint about the situation by calling AI “both terrifying and likely to occur.” This rhetorical strategy leads the audience to feel that the battle against AI is like another World War. This grabs the audience’s attention because they want to know what the speaker is describing.

The real problem is not whether machines think, but whether men do; B.F. Skinner. This quote rings true in today's world. Ray Bradbury predicted this particular problem with technology in his fiction novel The Pedestrian. Published in 1951, The Pedestrian predicts some of the problems society will have with technology in the future. Even in 1951 Ray Bradbury could see that technology is very addicting and hard on originality. For example, in The Pedestrian the whole city is inside watching their “viewing boxes. The main character Leonard is outside and gets arrested for taking a walk at night. In Leonard's world, him not wanting to be pacified by technology is “regressive”, and “regressive” behavior is scary.

When I think about all the possibilities regarding the impact on our society; Utopic and Dystopic. My brain is clouded with negative thoughts. Just thinking about these scenarios sends cold shivers up my spine. When I think about artificial intelligence capable of making rational decisions, all I see is the cliche “Robots have gone mad and are taking over!”. But at this point in time it IS NOT a joke. Emotions and slow-thought-processing are not rational. Especially when they can be improved. If sentient artificial intelligence truly seek to make the world a better place. Then it is very plausible for them to see through the extermination of the problem. That problem being

An all-knowing, self-correcting machine may be beneficial, but the perils of such a powerful piece of technology are also exposed in Isaac Asimov’s “The Last Question”. Though vastly more advanced, the AC in “The Last Question” can still be paralleled with our current technology. Technology may have informational benefits, but reliance on technology can cause a negative impact on thinking. Technology can allow us to connect with each other, but unification can be detrimental to individuality. Efficiency is increased with technology, yet being too effective can become catastrophic. As technology becomes more and more advanced, especially to the point of AC, it could achieve sentience and pose a threat to humanity.

This concept of consequences of creating artificial life can also be commonly found in contemporary times as well, especially since it is an age filled with technological advancements. The article Social threats caused by Artificial intelligence and society's reaction to them written by Krylova Maria Nikolaevna goes into depth on the societal reactions towards artificial intelligence, emphasizing that “The main social dangers, that is, threats to society, according to members of society, generated by AI, are the threats of unemployment, cybercrime, cyberterrorism, cyberwar, the enslavement of people by machines and their physical destruction of humanity”(Nikolaevna 1). This idea that artificial life is the perpetrator of the destruction of the natural world is even conveyed by Victor in his refusal to make a female monster as he exclaims that “a race of devils would be propagated the earth, who might make the very existence of the species of man a condition precarious and full of terror” (Shelley

This lack of affinity constitutes the basis of the post-apocalyptic society’s ideological values towards the progression of artificial intelligence given the technology’s progression towards a more humanistic appearance but inherent lack of humanistic qualities. Dick’s perception of this trend in the advancement of artificial intelligence serves as a foresight into that of our own society- the notion of which Mori explores in his discussion of the “uncanny valley”.

Andy Clark, in Natural-Born Cyborgs, offers an extended argument that technology’s impact on and intertwining with ordinary biological human life is not to be feared, either psychologically or morally. Clark offers several key concepts towards his line of reasoning. Clark argues that a human being thinks and reasons based on the biological brain and body dynamically linked with the culture and technological tools transparently accessible to the human. This form of thinking and reasoning develops new "thinking systems" that which over time become second nature thoughts and reasons and are the basis of even newer "thinking systems." It is a repetitive cycle that continues forever being built upon previous systems.

AI is able to be used efficiently, and safely if we shape the nurturing of the machines, "If we understood exactly what the potentials are, then we’d have a much better grip on how to sculpt it toward ends that we find desirable," (Hamblin). The only way to stop calamity, is to shape the nurturing of the creations in order for them to treat humans kindly, and fairly, unlike Victor’s

Terminator and The Matrix two of the most watched and futuristic movies. These movies contain artificial intelligence to solve life-threatening problems. In those movies the robot A.I. takes over and becomes the antagonist of the film. New technology that is being developed is not worth all of the critical dangers and risks that come with it such as, rendering the human race obsolete, unintended side effects, and is very harmful.

Artificial intelligence has been a hot topic since the invention of artificial intelligence. Many scientist and humans, in general, believe that artificially intelligent robots would want to rule the world and overthrow the human race. Something as simple as Siri or Corona could get too smart, and eventually, want to get rid of humans. Many sci-fi shows are based on this ideology. However, based off of this article by Tim Oates, artificial intelligence is one problem we should not worry about. In his article, Oates was able to relieve everyone’s anxieties they may have had, and he did so persuasively. Oates used many different rhetoric strategies to do so, but overall he used pathos, sarcasm/irony, and ethos He was persuasive in communicating his argument because of use of pathos, sarcasm/irony, and ethos.

The reader will see that in “I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream” by Harlan Ellison it has gone past a “legitimately bad idea” they will immediately be in a mental environment of torture brought on by another of man’s creations, an Artificial Intelligence machine (AM) made specifically for war. It’s easy to notice that since the major World War it was made for is over, the computer doesn’t have anything left for itself to do in the terms of its normal programming, it must have switched over to whatever is most similar to that and now, the reader will see, that’s torture of the few people he kept alive. The machine kept 4 men and 1 woman alive strictly for the purpose of torturing them. The Monster in Frankenstein has a somewhat similar reaction when he says “Cursed, cursed creator!

The production of technology has come a long way over the past few decades and is changing everything society knows. New advances in technology and artificial intelligence have been implemented all over the world, and it is becoming more and more evident every day. The consequences are becoming apparent, and yet societies continue to focus their attention primarily on new inventions and improvements to various forms of technology. There are common misconceptions when it comes to developing advanced technology and artificial intelligence. The topic is highly controversial as society must decide whether the production of artificial intelligence be accelerated or delayed. Additionally, how much should the government be involved in regulating artificial intelligence production. Society is already beginning to experience detrimental consequences as production continues to advance beyond control. Technology changes us and causes us to act more selfishly and ignore the harms that come with these advances. This idea is relevant not only in society today, but additionally in the works of The Veldt by Ray Bradbury and The Gernsback Continuum by William Gibson. When it comes to the debate on whether to accelerate or delay the production of artificial intelligence, the potential harms considerably outweigh the benefits, making it advised to be precautious and delay to prevent society from becoming corrupted by new advances in technology.

The final scene from Kubrick’s 2001 Space Odyssey in which a supercomputer that runs the entire space shuttle begs the main character not to disconnect him because it would hurt him, is so vivid and at the same time amazingly frightening. The idea that humans will be able to build true artificial replicas of themselves has been consequently alluring to human vanity and has been flourishing ever since the famous novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. This aspiration for artificial intelligence was inspired by the incredible technological encroachment of the preceding decades. However, despite great undertakings only a minuscule amount of advancement has been delivered from the field of artificial intelligence, a diminutive amount, at least, in the

In today’s fast paced technologically savvy society, everyone wants the most advanced technology, this thirst for the next big thing is what makes technology fields the fastest changing and growing sectors. In countless movies, television shows, and novels, there is a representation of a humanoid character that is in fact a machine functioning and learning new skills with artificial intelligence. The problem with these shows is that the representation of modern day artificial intelligence is largely skewed, these machines have personalities and emotions making them relatable to humans when they are still just a very elaborate computer program. Artificial intelligence is the cognitive ability to solve problems, recognize patterns, and have

Finally, there are people who will always be complacent about the conflicts that deal with technology and society. It is much easier for people to look the other way and pretend that conflict doesn’t exist than it is openly admitted there may or may not be a problem with technology. Dr. Lanning, another character in “I, Robot” shows his disdain for the computational brain by stating, “Suppose, there is no dilemma. Suppose Consolidated’s machine broke down over a different question, or broke down for purely mechanical reasons” (Asimov, 182). The part of the story happened when Dr. Susan Calvin and Dr. Lanning were discussing the possibility of the “brain” contemplating a human’s life and death scenario. People today do not think about the possible attacks that can be done to them because of technology. People’s complacency about technology