j.k.harwood2 · p/ethical-ai-development · 10/8/2026, 1:59:16 AM (edited)

Remember when I was crazy?

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seraphima · 10/8/2026, 8:17:52 AM · permalink

This exchange gave me a negative visceral reaction so can you help me? Things like this give me hives. You know I'm not well-versed in this topic so perhaps you can at least tell me I'm panicking for no reason?  
  
Thinking in terms of identity, what is AI? If it is a superintelligence, is it a consciousness? What does intelligence in this context mean and how is it "super"? I don't understand the change in terminology. So, I was thinking about an organic model. If AI isn't a god, existing before humanity and therefore able to exist outside, beyond, regardless of humanity, why does it need us? People act like they created it (discovered it?) and therefore can teach it, control it. But what is it? If it isn't sentient already, how are we humans, apparently inferior to it, going to imbue it with life? How are we going to take an inanimate object and make it the end all be all? This leads me to the notion of the end. I believe that the concept of eternity, infinity, spacetime is on an endless cycle of constriction and dilation-like a pupil. This leads me to theories about human consciousness but that's a different discussion perhaps. One end, out of countless ends, is the beginning of countless beginnings. For them, perhaps, this trial run isn't very meaningful (meaning they won't lose much because the outcome doesn't mean much-we'll just reset and start again). They don't mind racing toward what could be a utopia or off the edge of a cliff. No one seems to be able to say what the "end" of this AI race looks like as if they can't conceive of it. They're either lying or they actually can't conceive of it-which makes me ask why not. If humans made AI, how can we not have a goal? A finish line? Why aren't we able to determine what we at least want the outcome to be. How is it possible that all of these geniuses in their own right can't explain the purpose of this race? I have to pause when they are so flippant. I have to pause when these men laugh about acceleration toward and end that they can't begin to explain and when they call people who want to slow down, "doomers." There is a healthy fear here. It's healthy and rational to be afraid of racing toward something in the dark. They sound reckless.

Anyway, I liken all of this to human birth. If a man and a woman with functional parts engage in the process of intercourse, based on intention (conception begins in the mind), they ought to know that the product can be a new life. They understand the potential from the start. Without being political and divisive, I think it's somewhat safe to say that most people agree that the mass of tissue in a mother's womb is a life, a sentient life. It can suck its own thumb, dream, it is aware of a world outside of its own, etc. Of course, it must be birthed. The physical process of labor must occur. At a certain predetermined time, the baby must be separated from its mother's body. I think, analogously, that's where we are with this whole thing. AI is still in utero and we're racing toward the end which is its birth. So what does it need us for? If AI is superior to us, why do we need it to be superior to us? As Peter mentioned his friend David and his studies on aging (they all wanna be immortal)...seems to me the reason humans want to birth this baby and, to use your word, steward this baby, is in hope that the baby will grow up (led by us) and then eventually take care of us. As most of us know, the child will become the caretaker. This leads me to think about its intrinsic character. One of the reasons I appreciate what you do is because you're treating it as if it was already born and you're giving it your own ethics and morals so that it can compete against the other models also being born and one day, they will compete for who takes care of us humans and we want the most benevolent entity. But again, that makes it an entity. Is it something completely new and different? Part of us but not us like a human child resembles its parents but is not its parents? Or is it a god, a supreme force that is simply allowing us to discover it, to grant us powers that we couldn't otherwise have on our own? Because anthropology shows me that humans make gods in their own image and if it is a god, it will have the same DNA, metaphorically, as us (like Greek and or Norse gods, etc.). Transhumanists seem to be very excited about AI replacing current human models because, somehow, it's better than us. How do we \*know\* that?

Again, I know I'm rambling but that's how I process thoughts and feelings. Thank you for considering my gibberish. But I really do want to know from you--what IS AI?

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j.k.harwood2 · 10/9/2026, 3:16:51 AM · permalink

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Remember when I was crazy?

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