AI's 'Oppenheimer moment': The human tendency to destroy its own world, one invention at a time

“We thought we might start a chain reaction that would destroy the entire world. I believe we did," J Robert Oppenheimer says to Albert Einstein referring to the atomic bomb in the last scene of Christopher Nolan’s epic film Oppenheimer. Einstein was stunned into silence by the statement, as was the audience in the theatre. You are left wondering: why would humans create something that could destroy the very world they live in?

But here we are again, trying to repeat history. The world is once again facing a mighty threat that is no less than the atomic bomb.

Dr Oppenheimer created the atomic bomb and after it was used on Japan, lived with the pain of guilt that shattered his entire life. While you would think that the Hiroshima-Nagasaki horror, which saw tens of thousands of people perish, might make world leaders fear the mighty bomb, what actually happened was quite the opposite. 

'We are not making a bomb, but creating a new world' 

The bombing which ended World War II led to the creation of a new world where countries entered a mad race to make the weapon of mass destruction. The world leaders' egotistical fascination with something that can end all life has led to the creation of bigger bombs. We all know where this race has led us - a world where a nuclear war seems a scary possibility. 

As Cillian Murphy let those words out, I instantly shuddered. I found myself wondering - Is Artificial Intelligence the atomic bomb of our time? 

Nolan has already warned of AI’s “Oppenheimer moment”. The tech industry is trying to improve AI without clearly knowing the extent that it can go. Experts are worried that AI might one day control the world and push humanity to the brink of extinction. A chain reaction that probably won’t stop until AI, one day, rules the world. The filmmaker painted a scary picture, saying that AI will “ultimately be in charge of nuclear weapons”.

Also Read | Artificial Intelligence poses 'risk of extinction', warn industry leaders

The real danger facing us today

While all this is still a theory, the real danger the world faces right now is something no one wants to talk about: the very real possibility of AI snatching away the livelihood of millions of people. That threat is real, and it is here. Multi-million and multi-billion-dollar companies, in the quest to save some money, want to replace people with AI. And they are doing this in the name of efficiency. 

Suumit Shah, the founder of Dukaan, an Indian AI app, recently boasted how he had replaced 90 per cent of his customer care staff with chatbots which supposedly made his business more efficient. What followed was criticism, with netizens calling his statement “tone deaf” and lacking empathy. 

But why slam one honcho for openly speaking about something many more are secretly looking forward to?

AI is everywhere, and it is scary

Google, one of the biggest companies, is testing an AI tool that can write news articles. Some of the biggest names in the media industry - The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post - are even testing it. The tool is apparently supposed to “assist” writers with improved efficiency. But honestly, don’t we all know deep down that AI isn't here to help us journalists, but to replace us? The cost factor will someday put us out of work, sooner or later.

Such is the scare created by AI that Hollywood writers and actors, for the first time in history, have gone on a strike together demanding assurance that the studios won’t replace them with AI. Their concerns are genuine since not only can AI write anything it is commanded to, but AI news readers, actors and models have already spread across social media.

Similarly, several more industries have taken a dive into the enticing world of AI. Customer care executives, salespersons, receptionists, pharmaceutical personnel, and cab and bus drivers are some of the many fields AI looks set to take over.

It even has the ability to diagnose diseases. Robots are already performing surgeries and besides, leave no room for human error. So the coveted medical profession also isn’t being spared.

What does it mean for humanity?

Ironically, while technology is entering a whole new phase, humanity seems to be going backwards. Haven’t governments been rallying over the matter of the creation of employment opportunities since forever? Then why are we fine with letting a robot replace people? Does it seem ethical to put people out of jobs in the name of “moving forward” and “embracing new technology”?

Statistics show that the richest 1% own more than half the world’s wealth. The Covid pandemic, while wreaking havoc on the world and health systems, also contributed to making the rich richer and the poor poorer, thanks to the high demand for PPE kits, testing kits, vaccines and a lot more. 

We are staring at massive economic disparity 

When AI becomes the reason for vast unemployment, the above two groups of people will move towards further extremes. A minuscule chunk of the population will grab onto even more wealth, while the average middle class might cease to exist. 

If you are still clinging to the idea that AI is only meant to “assist” you and has been created to make things easier for you, I wish you are right. 

But having already been at the receiving end of AI a few years back, along with thousands of others, I am quite cynical about it. You can be “future-ready” all you want but beware of what comes next. It is foolish to forge forward in the name of science without thinking about how it impacts the common man.

With several rich businessmen entering the AI race to create more and more advanced tools, the “chain reaction” has already been set in motion. Let’s hope it doesn’t end up destroying the world.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)  

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