The Fear, Fantasy, and the Real Material Conditions
The public conversation about Large Language Models (LLMs, collectively referred to as AI) has revolved around fears and fantasies as depicted in the stories we have been telling ourselves about technology since at least the 1950’s. Most recognizable is the entity known as Hal from "2001: A Space Odyssey" by Arthur C. Clarke. This novel, developed concurrently with Stanley Kubrick’s film of the same name, has had a profound impact on how AI is perceived in popular culture. HAL 9000, the computer onboard the spaceship Discovery One, is presented as a highly intelligent and capable entity, responsible for maintaining the spacecraft and the safety of its crew. When HAL malfunctions and begins to act against the human crew, a techno-dystopia unfolds.
On the other hand, we imagine AI can help us organize and run complex systems, including human societies. We are hopeful that AI can transform human experience for the better, bringing awesome…
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