For the first time, humans are creating machines that can learn on their own.
The era of intelligent technology is here, and as a society, we are at a crossroads.
But its not enough.
Its a profoundly beautiful idea.
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Ever still, I believe that as a human civilization we aspire to arc toward the light.
With respect to fast emerging intelligent technologies, the genie is already out of the bottle.
Decreeing standards to govern AI will not be sufficient to protect us from whats coming.
Is this even possible?
And even if coding a conscience is technologically doable, whose conscience should it be?
Human value-based choices are dependent upon various complex layers of moral and ethical codes.
However, the technological watershed confronting us today demands that we go further.
And we cannot afford to delay the conversation.
We remain deeply divided politically.
History teaches us how difficult it will be to regulate and control our technology for the common good.
Yet even those on different sides of the aisle generally profess to cherish similar quintessential values of humankind.
If we are able to come together on this, crafting better policies and guidelines will follow.
How would imbuing them with values and a sense of equity change how they functioned?
Would an empathetic machine neglect to care for the sick?
Would an algorithm endowed with a moral code value money over people?
Would a machine with compassion demonize certain ethnic or religious groups?
Ive studied war crimes and genocide.
Ive borne witness to the depths of both human despair and resilience, evil and courage.
Humans are flawed beings capable of extraordinary extremes.
Designing intelligent technologies with principles is our moral responsibility to future generations.
Entrenched partisanship, tribalism, and Other-ism could be our downfall.
We need to acknowledge our human limitations, and the interdependent prism of humanity that underlies us all.
Ironically, to accept our limits opens us up to go farther than we ever thought possible.
To become more creative, more collaborative, to be better collectively than we were before.
But its our moral imperative to give it a shot.
Failing to try is an ethical choice in itself.
We didnt know until we tried.
As Nelson Mandela knew well, it always seems impossible until its done.
