Some thoughts on AI

As I read more about A.I., it brings the concern into sharper focus. It is first of all an economic issue, but it cannot be discussed simply in terms of economic theory or models. Whatever substantially alters society, our deeply interwoven common life, creates fundamental adjustment across a broad spectrum of social relationships. To put it simply, Americans are in for a wild, perhaps unprecedented, ride. All that I have to say is speculative. Many will disagree, or at least insist that there are alternative ways of "seeing" the "levers of change" that we are experiencing. As always in what I write, I am not saying "believe this." I am trying to point to ideas that I think we should be hearing and discussing. First, I think it may well be that the American economy has never been this strong. By that I mean that the sectors of the economy that produce the products and services that people need and desire have never been stronger. Great wealth and seemingly impossible technologies are combing in unprecedented ways. Second, the likelihood that the present system, left to run wild, will meet the needs of millions of Americans is dangerously low. We will soon be living in two Americas. Technology, including A.I. but not exclusively this unique driver of change, will reshape the nature of work and leave more than half the population tenuously connected to the work force. As a nation we are arriving at a convergence of forces and the emergence of possibilities that will determine our future. This isn't about MAGA or Trump or liberalism and conservatism. These clutter the space that we need to clear so that we can get to the heart of the matter. Already too much of the time and energy of good people is given to fighting the wrong battles, or, if you will allow me to say it, playing the wrong games. In this we are being essentially human. Our attention focus and duration has been shaped by evolution and history to deal with the immediate threat or opportunity, "headlines," not the underling forces that drive us into the future. I would point to the value of religion in this regard. Faith, hope and love all help break the hold of the spiderweb of immediacy in our lives. They point us in the right direction. They see underlying currents. In the hands, though, of "mortals," of "partisans" they can lead in dangerous directions. Ever this has been our past--our infancy as a civilization, our adolescence as a people. Back to what I began to say at the beginning of this article. The economy will continue to be strong. It is vast, complex, highly organized, competently led, amply funded; assimilating giant strides in technology. But it is separating our society into those who can and cannot participate in its success. Let me apologize for a moment for what I still want to say. This will not fall on deaf ears, but on sensitive parts of "hearing." For it touches the mythologies that structure our defenses against uncertainty. We have built around our "normal thinking" a fine web of illusions. Especially about the role of government in society, or to say it more clearly about our capacity to leverage communal action. Forget that "government is the answer" or that "government is the problem." We have the ability using the powers of government to make decisions that redirect the economic forces that it left untouched are leading us into the "wrong" future. Government is a tool. In the actual hands of the many it can work for all. In the hands of the few, it can work for them. It will never result in an ideal world, for obvious reasons. And it can result in servitude and/or oblivion. But, for now, it must be used creatively, intelligently, compassionately, and with a full understanding of its limitations. You may agree. You may disagree. You may be uncertain. You may want to "get off the bus." I understand. Years of teaching help me to understand. But this is a conversation we must have. Now. Before it is too late. John Bing is professor emeritus of political science and anthropology at Heidelberg University.