You've dedicated years to mastering a craft, only to see an AI replicate and surpass your skills almost overnight. Your dreams of creating, of making a difference in the world, become simply and suddenly out of reach. This is the potential outcome of technological acceleration: a future where innovation surpasses humanity.
Just as the industrial revolution left many skilled craftsmen behind, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) it threatens to disrupt industries, skills and the very fabric of our society. With one difference compared to past revolutions: the pace of AI development is unprecedented.
Understanding the Technology Anticipation Gap
Il Technology Anticipation Gap (GAT) highlights the discrepancy between our expectations of future technologies and their actual capabilities upon arrival. This gap, widened by rapid technological evolution, leads to a significant divergence between expected and actual experiences. GAT is responsible for turning enthusiasm into desperation, as dreams of using AI for fantastical achievements can remain largely unrealized.
In summary? The pattern of technological acceleration we are already witnessing presents a curve that seems too steep and rapid for us humans. A vertical curve which lacks stable "plateaus" in progress that allow us to adapt and enjoy our achievements. Continuing technological evolution could render many efforts obsolete before they can even be realized. And this would end up undermining the stability of society.
Technological acceleration is the infinite horizon of Singularities
The concept of the AI Singularity has often been misunderstood (even by me) as a single moment of transcendence. It could be something else. It may actually be a series of accelerated advances, each with a horizon of intelligence far beyond human understanding.
The “acceleration paradox” suggests that the pursuit of exponential growth in technological capabilities inevitably leads to a state in which our capabilities become a hindrance rather than a benefit. The dreams and desires that fuel our drive to innovate are simultaneously rendered useless by the very advancements we achieve.
Technological innovation accelerates at an exponential rate, creating a vicious cycle in which new technologies rapidly replace old ones. This process risks leaving an ever-increasing part of the population behind, creating unemployment, inequality and social hardship.
Is transhumanism an illusion?
AI has a disruptiveness unlike any previous innovation. It does not simply aim to become a replica of human skill, thought and intelligence. Acceleration challenges all traditional paradigms of life, it goes beyond what we are able to expect today.
This is why the allure of transhumanism, with its promise of human enhancement through technology, may be an illusion. The exponential growth of AI could render our attempt to keep pace with innovation through biological enhancement futile. What would be the consequences, then?
Our ability to imagine the future is limited, and our expectations for future technologies will always be lower than the reality of their capabilities. From "I don't believe in my eyes" we could move to "I no longer believe in anything, therefore not even in myself".
The dystopian implications of technological acceleration
The fear of irrelevance permeates every aspect of our engagement with technology, from personal aspirations to professional endeavors. The prospect of dedicating significant time, resources and effort to initiatives that can become irrelevant in the blink of an eye generates profound anxiety, discouraging investment in any form of long-term development.
While traditional innovation cycles have allowed for periods of stabilization and reflection, the current trajectory of technological evolution offers no such breathing space. The constant upheaval in all sectors of society requires a reevaluation of how we conceptualize progress and its impact on our lives.
AI's potential to facilitate authoritarian control, erode privacy, and manipulate public discourse presents the darkest aspects of technological advancement. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into the fabric of society, its ability to shape our lives in profound and potentially harmful ways will tend to infinity.
The challenge to creativity and human meaning
The possibility that AI could surpass human creativity and innovation raises existential questions about the value of our survival, and the uniqueness of our contributions. The blurred lines between human- and machine-generated content already challenge our notions of authenticity and connection, prompting critical examination of what it means to be creative in an AI-dominated landscape.
The paradox of technological acceleration presents a complex and challenging vision of the future, one in which the very advancements we strive to achieve could undermine the goals and dreams that guide us. It's not about demonizing technology, but about understanding its potential implications and finding ways to govern it responsibly.
We must build a future where AI serves humanity, and not the other way around. We must find a balance between ourselves and what we want from technology, because we are dreaming of something that gives us eternity but we risk planning our obsolescence.
Source: Mindprison.cc – Dakara, 2024, “The Technological Acceleration Paradox – Why the future you perceive is already obsolete”.
