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I've become very scared of AI and terrified of the people pushing it. Here are some reasons:
1. Loudon County, VA, is an example of what can happen with data center development. The AI people flooded the county with money that allowed the county to build new schools and so forth. But the other day I saw the story of some people there who have a home on a quiet cul-de-sac next to an open field. A data center, a huge building next to them, has a loud humming noise all the time. That's a real "Trojan Horse", and that's not right.
2. I also read recently that AI has decoded a letter that Napoleon wrote in code over 200 years ago that had never been able to be read before. If that's the case, how could I ever create a password to one of my accounts that AI couldn't hack? I now have to worry in the back of my mind that someday all of my investments on somebody's computer will suddenly disappear. Companies are trying to avoid this by taking extra steps to prove who you are when you try to log in, which just adds to the frustration.
3. AI, besides being able to decode Napoleon's letters, has created rogue bots that have escaped from their creators to hack other systems and created anxiety that they are learning to cheat and deceive. The creators freely admit this and astonishingly seem to make us wonder if they know how to stop this sort of thing.
4. The government, personified by Trump, is urging full-speed progress on AI development. Given what I believe Trump's (and the government's) propensity is for bad judgment, this should be a major red flag. But let's be clear: I don't believe Trump cares whether AI can produce medical miracles or help farmers grow wheat more efficiently; I believe he wants AI to help him win elections by manipulating demographics, voter psychology, and that sort of stuff.
5. If the AI people cannot provide arguments that will satisfy me that all my concerns are unfounded, as a last resort they will say that we must win the AI race with China. Why should we worry about that? Why wouldn't some guy in China have the same concerns that I do about AI? Furthermore, if I were Xi, I wouldn't sleep at night, wondering whether AI had become smart enough to overthrow the Communist Party's control of the country.
Until someone relieves me of these concerns, I will remain suspicious of and hostile to AI. If things get worse, hopefully some right-minded citizen will go over to the wall and pull out the plug
John Brittain
Lewistown