This Marvelous Dichotomous World
This Reflection piece is a companion to another article about artificial intelligence and its possible or distant effects on the life of the Maasai of the Mara.
Pictured above is a young Bedouin wife and mother, and further below in this article is a picture of her father. They live in what most of us would consider primitive conditions, near Marrakesh, Morocco. The family calls itself Bedouin, though minus the tents and migratory habits of the traditional desert Bedouin.
A small, one room, brick dwelling, without windows, without furniture of any kind, is the sleeping quarters for the four living generations of this family. Outside, the family's sheep graze on mostly bare ground strewn with plastic and other litter that seems to accumulate in abundance in many less developed areas. Apart from the brick walls, there is no sign of modernism. No technologies, no electricity, no appliances, no phones, no vehicles.
The work-hardened condition of this twenty-something woman's hands, and the claw-like, cracked and blackened condition of her grandmother's feet and hands, serve as evidence of a physically challenging existence. Given the proximity to Marrakesh, the fourth largest city in modern Morocco, this family's zero-technology existence seems to be at least in part, a lifestyle choice, rather than a requisite because of remote isolation.
Two questions (not answers) arise:
Does this family fit any kind of standardized human flourishing narrative?
Is there any way in which the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) flow through to this version of our world?
A number of moderate voices believe AI can be a huge blessing for all of humanity, if channeled, constrained, managed, and controlled. Human-like artificial general reasoning is less than a decade away, according to some leading experts. I wonder, as do many others, what will be better in our — their — daily lives, and what will be worse, because of the expanding effects of AI.
I can't visualize how AI will have much of a direct effect on the lifestyle of those with lesser dependence on technology, such as those pictured here. Still, I do maintain two conclusions arising from the thought process stimulated by these ponderings:
No one knows how AI will progress nor how it will impact everything it touches, and
Everyone has an interest and a responsibility in the AI conversation. It is not just the domain of a handful of elites. It is humanity's problem and opportunity.
I am watching the AI space on behalf of Veritas Chronicles. It is one of the most important conversations currently playing out on Planet Earth. The technologies, ethics, and applications of AI are integral to this and all future generations, even for those who aren't paying attention — yet.
Below is a downloadable PDF version of the article.