Economic and social euphoria over the emergence of nonbiological forms of intelligence —commonly known as generative artificial intelligence or AI — have captured the imaginations of businesses and individuals alike.
Whether you are an AI accelerator or a "doomer," you know that something monumental is happening that may change the shape and trajectory of the future.
In the last two years, Big Tech companies have poured hundreds of billions of dollars into the development of powerful AI systems as hundreds of start-ups have been launched. If money could talk, it would say that AI is the future. And yet 56 percent of Fortune 500 companies say AI poses a risk to their business model.
Much like the frequent question asked in Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” — “Who is John Galt?” — we should be asking, “Who is in charge?”
There is no doubt that, like the internet, AI will positively affect every aspect of life, driving revolutions in healthcare, defense, transportation, finance, communications, food production, manufacturing and the knowledge business itself. But like most tech, it brings with it a form of peripheral blindness that seems to obscure our instinct to weigh the enhancements and threats evenly before using a new product. With tech, the question is usually, “How fast can I download it?”
For example, 100 million starstruck enthusiasts rushed to use ChatGPT in its first........