Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and Apple, and now Open AI and NVIDIA. Are their goals in alignment with societal needs? Why is the scientific community warning of misalignment?
Why is there more regulation for a Sandwich, than AI?
The profound impact of tech platforms on these aspects of human life is extensively researched and warned about across various scientific disciplines:
Elections: Political science and communication studies have documented concerns about misinformation, echo chambers, and foreign interference facilitated by platforms.
Mental Health: Psychology, public health, and neuroscience researchers are actively studying the links between social media use and mental health outcomes, particularly in adolescents.
Economic Opportunities: Labor economists and sociologists examine the impact of gig economy platforms and AI on employment, wages, and worker rights.
Social Interactions: Sociology and communication studies analyze how platforms reshape social norms, community building, and interpersonal relationships.
We see is symptoms of the underlying malaise that's seeped into our large tech companies all around us.
Take this recent news of downsizing coders: XYZ Inc. recently announced job cuts affecting roughly 6,000 employees globally. Meanwhile, customer-facing roles like sales and marketing were largely spared.
Reportedly, over 40 per cent of the layoffs in one state in the US targeted software engineers. Was their job to train the AI copilots? And who's responsible for this: the company's management or the AI copilots?
Arbitrary and Unaccountable Decisions
While powerful, Zeus's decisions are often driven by personal whims, emotions, or self-interest, with little accountability to anyone.
Some large companies are making significant decisions (e.g., content moderation, algorithm changes, market access) that impact billions, often without transparency, public consultation, or external oversight. These decisions can seem arbitrary or self-serving. Case in point are the billions tech companies are paying in the EU as penalties for over-reaching.
Benevolent Dictator (Self-Perception vs. Reality)
Zeus might sometimes act for the "greater good" but ultimately does so from a position of absolute authority, not democratic consent.
* Some large companies’s founders might claim to be making the world a better place, connecting people, or providing essential services. Look no further than Mark Zuckerberg (ashamed to say he went to Harvard, a school known for its ethics) or Elon Musk. Is "Benevolence" delivered from a position of unearned authority, rather than being democratically elected or truly accountable?
Interference in Human Lives
Zeus frequently meddled in the lives of mortals, often with significant consequences.
* Tech platforms are deeply embedded in daily life, influencing everything from elections and mental health to economic opportunities and social interactions, as we noted above. Is this influence becoming overbearing and potentially harmful?
Is Big Tech influence and misaligned obsession with shareholder wealth over societal trade offs becoming overbearing and potentially harmful?
Overall Message
* Tech companies have amassed too much power and influence.
* They are making decisions that impact society without sufficient accountability, transparency, or democratic oversight.
* They need to be reined in, regulated, or held responsible for their actions. We have more regulation for a sandwich than AI.
* Their current role is unsustainable or detrimental to a healthy society. Like a potential runaway train (with a destination of building super-intelligence), there need to be checks and balances.
A Pyrrhic victory is one where the victor suffers such significant losses that it negates any sense of achievement. In the context of OpenAI, the probability of a victory being Pyrrhic would depend on several factors, including:
1. Cost of Development: If the resources spent on achieving a goal (like a breakthrough in AI) are disproportionately high compared to the benefits gained.
2. Market Impact: If the victory leads to backlash or regulatory challenges that could harm OpenAI's position in the long run.
3. Reputation: If the victory damages relationships with stakeholders or the public perception of AI technologies.
Could OpenAI’s victory indeed be considered a Pyrrhic victory?
Time will tell.