By Yousef Alkhadhari

We are currently living through the eve of what is likely the most monumental shift human civilization has ever seen. Many are unaware of what is on the horizon, and many would simply like to stay in denial. In the coming years, many will realize that the world they have been taught to grow up in will soon be a distant memory, due to technological tidal waves which will most likely redefine everything it means to be human. Over the past two years, the world has become increasingly familiar with the term “AI”, standing for artificial intelligence.

ChatGPT users in early 2023 were blown away by the ability of a computer to converse with them much in the same way a human would. A user can go to ChatGPT and simply talk about their day, they can also however ask it to write a tale in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet about a battle set in Ancient China, while incorporating elements of Greek mythology and Roman poetry, and marvel at the work being produced exactly as requested within a matter of seconds.

If that second one sounded perhaps a bit random, that was the point — these systems are capable of responding to even the most absurdly random prompts in ways that are utterly stunning. It is a testament to humanity’s ability to adapt that we now look upon these things as completely normal.

The dangerous situation we now find ourselves in is that many seem to think this is where AI stops, as just a tool that can quickly write an interesting poem for you or help you with your homework, I’m sorry to disappoint, but this could not be further from the truth. Systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, or Google’s Gemini, are the result of years of incredibly complex research that has been conducted in AI labs with most people barely noticing.

A technique to which the success of practically all useful modern AI systems can be attributed, known as deep learning, led to breakthroughs in humanity’s ability to create truly intelligent systems that did not need our instructions to solve issues. I would rather not bore you with too many technical details, but this method of programming completely reshaped the landscape of artificial intelligence, leading to the revolution we are now living through.

We are currently the dominant species on this planet. This is not due to our strength or speed, rather it is a result of our intelligence. Our ancestors battled other species of humans such as the Neanderthals, who were by far our superior in terms of strength, but we came out victorious because our intelligence allowed us to cooperate in large groups the way no other animal has ever been able to.

We’ve all watched or read stories about aliens coming across our planet. Sometimes they admire us and elevate us to explore the entire universe with them; other times they show great disdain for our species and punish us for our hubris. What I find interesting about the world today, considering what is fast approaching, is that very few stop to think, what will the world look like when a new species, vastly smarter than me or anyone I know, predicted by former Google X Chief Business Officer Mo Gawdat to be a billion times smarter than all of humanity combined by 2037, arrives on this planet?

In 1997, the then world champion chess player Gary Kasparov played against Deep Blue, a computer system designed by American technology company IBM, specifically to play chess. At this point, computer systems hadn’t yet beaten the top chess player, and it was generally thought at the time that it could not be done, as human intuition would always give us a slight edge. However, it was at this pivotal moment that the chess world looked on in amazement as Deep Blue won the game, and since then, it has become evident that no human will ever again beat the best chess playing machine.

The game of Go is thought to be amongst the most complex humans have ever played. In 2015, the computer system AlphaGo made shockwaves by defeating the then European Go champion, the first time in the history of the game that a top human player had lost to a machine. The win itself was shocking enough, but even more interesting, is the fact that merely 6 months later, the system went on to defeat Lee Sedol, the world champion Go player. The system had in 6 months gone from never beating a human, to defeating the world champion.

AlphaGo even demonstrated incredible problem solving abilities and foresight, with its now infamous, move 37. Move 37 was a move made by AlphaGo in the second game against Lee, and it serves as a good illustrator of what we as humanity are heading into. The move was so unorthodox, Lee the world champion had to ask for a recess to even comprehend why the system would make such a seemingly disastrous blunder. Experts watching the game were convinced this was a critical mistake. Yet demonstrating its strategic brilliance, AlphaGo had actually used the move to creatively disrupt Lee’s pattern of play, and ultimately win the game.

We are creating intelligences which have already proven capable of outthinking even the most intelligent of our species. We must begin to confront what this means. If we have risen to the top of the hierarchy of this planet due to our intelligence, what happens when a more intelligent species exists? It seems clear to me that whatever it wishes to do, it will be able to do, so let us all hope that it has humanity’s best interests in mind.

It seems clear that this is the most pressing challenge of our time, and by even reading this article, you have a better idea of what’s coming than most. As we speak, incredible amounts of money are being poured into rapid AI advancement, at the same that a dedicated group of computer scientists and engineers across the planet are working out how we can safely enter this new future, and give rise to machines that benefit human civilization, rather than destroy it.

You may at this point be wondering what the best course of action would be for you personally, given the frankly almost inconceivable changes in the world. The truth of the matter is no one really knows what to tell you, as technological progress, especially in this area, is extremely difficult to forecast. I can’t give you a specific year for when certain things will happen, although I’m confident that what I’ve mentioned will be in the spotlight for practically all of us by the end of the decade. For now, simply do your best.

If I can ask a small favor, try to engage more in these discussions and make those around you aware of them. Please feel free to focus on whatever it is you seek to achieve in your life, but keep in mind that change is the only constant, and the world can change in an astoundingly short time. I have hope that we as humanity can guide this future in a direction that results in more prosperity and joy for us all, but we must not be complacent. Let us all do the best we can, for our very future as a species is at stake.