Let us think
My plan this morning was to open my laptop, close all the tabs, open a new browser, and find a great human thinker/writer of AI. After the discovery, I wanted to make a cup of strong black coffee, open articles and eBooks by that thinker and understand the truth about AI while the coffee opened my perceptual pores.
The plan changed after I stepped out of the toilet.
‘They are all confused. They will teach you nothing,’ said my mind. ‘Better talk with ChatGPT with that strong coffee.’
And here I am. I haven’t made that strong coffee yet, but I haven’t opened the customary ChatGPT tab either (feels like late-2000s google).
And the plan has changed again.
I don’t want to read or hear anyone. Least of all ChatGPT.
I want to think.
I want to write to think.
I want to write to think to understand the truth about AI.
A good writer is supposed to be a great thinker. Right now I want to be a good thinker.
I want to think about AI. I have heard enough, I have used enough. I want to have some fun with my thoughts.
I have kept everything aside. Forgotten books and AI.
Let’s think.
Thinking feels difficult. The decision to not use AI is like traveling without a companion. The decision to not-read or consume content is like heading to an unknown place. The decision to think without assistance feels like traveling alone to an unknown place. I feel lost and scared.
But I can think. I can do this.
I want to understand AI by thinking. Must not be difficult.
We think all the time, don’t we?
After think hard and coming up with nothing, I have found a solution.
I will place myself in a Chatbot scenario. I will ask myself some questions and answer it myself and keep conversation going that way. I won’t take reference from anything (not even dictionaries). I won’t joke or quit midway. If I manage to come up with good questions and answers, I will congratulate myself on having thought.
I won’t use Google Docs or ChatGPT or any other tool to proofread or edit this.
Q 1. What is AI?
AI stands for artificial intelligence. It stems from mankind’s desire to create something that is greater than themselves. Just like they created gods and poetry.
Q 2. Why does man have to create AI?
Man has to create AI because man can create AI. If man could create man, man would dump AI and create man. AI is the highest thing man can create right now. Philosophy was once the highest. Man has to push boundaries all the time. This is one of their functions.
Q 3. Why does man think that way?
Man thinks that way because what else would man think? What else would man do? Man has no answers to why he is here and where he should go. Creating ideas and technologies is man’s only option. (You digress. Stay within Man and AI. Don’t go there.)
Q 4. My apologies, I love existential questions too. Can you tell me more about the term ‘artificial intelligence’?
Sure. ‘Artificial’ is the term used for something that looks natural but is not. We call the turfs that are used indoors ‘artificial grass’ because they look like grass but aren’t grass. In the same way, artificial intelligence looks like natural intelligence but is not. Natural intelligence is something we find in nature. Like in man, animals, birds, insects, plants, cosmos, etc.
Q 5. But, why is there a need to create such intelligence, it sounds absurd?
I have answered that already.
Q 6. What is intelligence, by the way?
Look at it this way: An object is called an intelligent object if it is: conscious of itself, its desires, its surrounding, and if the object makes decisions that fulfills its own desires. Intelligence is the quality of an intelligent object used in the context of this ability. Just like physical-strength is the quality of a physically strong person used in the context of his/her ability to lift weight or run continuously.
Q 7. Is man intelligent? How?
Yes, if the man is conscious of itself, its desires, surrounding, and if the man can make decision to fulfill its own desires.
Q 8. Is a crow intelligent? How?
Yes, for the reasons above.
Q 9. Are dogs intelligent? How?
Yes, for the reasons above.
Q 10. Are tamed dogs, intelligent? How?
Hmm…anything that is tamed is fulfilling others’ desires. So, I would have to say, no, as long as a tamed dog doesn’t destroy an entire house when left alone without food. In that case the dog wouldn’t be tamed anyways.
Q 11. Are you intelligent? How?
Good question. Let’s see:
a. conscious of itself: Yes, I am conscious of myself.
b. conscious of its desires: Yes, I know that I desire answers to some interesting questions about AI right now.
c. conscious of its surrounding: Yes, it is sunny outside and I am listening to Mozart.
d. object makes decisions that fulfills its own desires: Yes, I am trying to know.
Therefore, I am intelligent as long as I possess all of the above.
Q 12. Would you be intelligent if you were knocked unconscious?
No.
Q 13. Give me examples of Artificial Intelligence.
Tamed dogs and people because anything that is tamed is fulfilling others’ desires.
Q 14. What is — being tamed?
When an object exists to fulfill other people’s desires, it is tamed.
Q 15. What about computers? How do they possess intelligence?
That’s a good question. Let’s see:
a. conscious of itself: I don’t know if my laptop, which supports artificial intelligence is conscious of itself. I need to do a consciousness test…. I tried to drop it on the floor but it didn’t defend itself. But maybe that’s because it doesn’t care, as its intelligence exists in the cloud or something. It knows it isn’t this body…
b. conscious of its desires: NO.
c. conscious of its surrounding: Yes
d. object makes decisions that fulfills its own desires: NO
I am afraid, I have to say computers don’t possess intelligence yet.
Q 16. Then, why this hype about artificial intelligence?
I think people are scared computers might be intelligent soon.
Q 17. What about writing AI? They say AI will replace writers soon. Do writers possess intelligence?
One question at a time please.
Q 18. Do writers possess intelligence?
Yes, I write therefore I am a writer. And as I answered in Q 11, I am intelligent as long as I possess all conditions. By the way, a writer exists only because unnecessary thoughts do.
Q 19. But you defined intelligence yourself, and graduated yourself in your own definition.
Isn’t that what mankind does in everything?
Q 20. What about writing AI? Will AI replace writers soon.
I don’t consider computers AI yet.
Q 21. I asked ‘soon’
Yes, once a computer is conscious of itself, its desires, its surrounding, and computers make decisions that fulfills their own desires. Until then, it is just a bloody tool in the hands of man. Like a mop. Did mops replace human feet?
Q 22. Do you see it happening?
C’mon, we haven’t been able to make dogs talk yet. And they have been with us for thousands of years.
Q 23. Why do they say AI is a threat?
First of all, these dull computers are not AI. They say computerized AI is a threat because it has the potential to take away human jobs.
Q 24. What kind of jobs?
Any job that involves counting and arranging.
Q 25. Soon they will be able to do everything a human does. What then?
In that case, humans get to finally live.
Q 26. What if computerized-AI live?
In that case, man would no longer be intelligent as it would violate the fourth rule: object makes decisions that fulfills its own desires.
Q 27. What advice would you give of writers who are scared of AI?
Computerized-AI don’t exist. What you are scared of is a tool that counts and arranges words and sentences together. What you do is beyond that. You deal with useless thoughts. Useless thoughts are byproducts of great intelligence. Even if these dumb computers take your writing from you, find other ways to deal with useless thoughts and monetize them. Think and express, always.
Q 28. Thank You for your time.
Thank you too.
Q 29. Let’s do this again, soon.
Why, not.
