In "Elon Musk," By Walter Isaacson, THE Shocker: Tech Genius Puts Extreme Value on Human Species, Particularly Consciousness

 For our generative AI-obsessed times, the most provocative chapter in Walter Isaacson's Elon Musk may be "Artificial Intelligence: OpenAI, 2012 - 2015.” 

Here is a line to think about:

"[In a conversation with Larry Page and other guests at his 2013 birthday party] Musk argued that unless we build in safeguards, artificial intelligence systems might replace humans, making our species irrelevant or even extinct." 

In particular, Musk, Isaacson documents, puts extreme value on human consciousness. 

Yet, as was widely known even before the publication of Elon Musk at his core the richest man in the world tended to treat human beings without deference, never mind respect. Early in this career, before he had acquired the power to run the show, he had been forced out of two enterprises. In the late 1990s researchers in Italy discovered that mirror neurons were the mechanisms for human connection, particulary empathy. Could Musk has a deficit of those?

In contrast to Musk, many of us who had been roughed up by human lovers, bosses and even neighbors would side with Page: Humans aren't worth preserving. A common fantasy among some of us who have been through the wringer is that an entity destroys all the humans on planet earth. Left standing would be animal life. Maybe evolution can start over and the next time around produce a less self-absorbed predatory cruel version of what we refer to currently as "human." 

No slouch when it came to sizing up human nature, William Shakespeare described the species as "cankered in the grain." The Roman Catholic religion attributes to our kind the fundamental darkness of "original sin." Mystical psychologist Carl Jung picked up on our "shadow" side.  

Meanwhile, society does seem to be on the side of protecting the human species from  a total catastrophe because of artificial intelligence. For example, elite law firm Paul Weiss has among its mission for its AI practice:

  • "[Establishing] Holistic review and impact assessments of AI and other transformational technology ..."

Guess those lawyers have a soft spot for us, even though they tend to bear witness to the worst intentionality and behavior of the species. 

During my 15 years in hands-on animal rescue, I gave the foot-footers a 10 and the two-footers who abandoned/abused them a minus-zero. 



In a better world, perhaps brought in by AI, it would be the consciousness of Lucy, a rescued three-months-ago 10-year-old terrier mix, which would be in charge. I trust her. She leans into my pain, not enjoys it.

 Data or the gut for your careers and communications? Both of course. Complimentary consultation with intuitive coach, content-creator, and Tarot reader Jane Genova (text 203-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com).

  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Akin Gump Julia Ghahramani's March 2021 Cocaine+ Death - So?

   It had been way back more than a year ago that first-year associate at law firm Akin Gump Julia Ghahramani died from cocaine laced with fentanyl. Yet that story keeps resurfacing.  This week  RollonFriday  revisits it. And  Reddit Big Law  considers the issue if the energy from cocaine is what's making possible those 2,500 hours billed in law firms.  Is what's keeping this on the radar the hunch that use of the illegal substance cocaine is common among those practicing law? After all, in addition to being an energy-booster, it provides a nice reward for such hard-working lawyers. Also, they have the earnings to afford it. Most of the rest of gunners have to stick with boozing. So, why not?  The reality might be setting in that the death could simply have been an aberration. Think about it this way: Ghahramani had bad luck in her alleged choice of dealers. Others might be able to exert more scrutiny in overseeing the content of the illegal drugs they sold. The message c
Read more

Up-or-Out: McKinsey Raises the Pressure, In Contrast Some Law Firms Ease It through Nonequity Partner Tier

" McKinsey & Co.  warned some US consultants last week they are running out of time to win promotion, raising the 'up or out' pressure on staff as the global consulting industry struggles." - Abovethefold Article in Bloomberg , March 27, 2024 This is yet another sign that once-iconic McKinsey is a professional services firm in trouble. One challenge is overcapacity of manpower. It has also warned about 3,000 consultants about "concerns" regarding their performance.  In addition to the overall slowdown in management consulting, McKinsey faces scrutiny from myriad sources about its client list including assignments with China and Saudi Arabia. There also has been that hatchet-job book "When McKinsey Comes to Town." The most damning aspect of the expose is that former employees dump on it. Posts on the professional anonymous network Fishbowl Consulting aren't optimistic about a turnaround at McKinsey or at other players in that sector. In cont
Read more

Down Memory Lane - There Was Actually a Time in When $70k for New JDs Was Big Money

  Let's cut to the chase. The year was 1987.  On a Monday in October the stock market crashed.  Corporate downsizing, made an art at GE by Jack Welch, was purging the system of middle-aged middle managers. Staples caught the wave of accidental entrepreneurs forced out of corporate careers. It created the new category of office supplies for small business. We the purged agonized at Staples about what color business stationary.  It was the worst of economic times, at least since The Great Depression.  Meanwhile, large law firms were getting a lot of attention because they were paying inexperienced law-school graduates starting salaries of up to $70k.  Cravath got the ball rolling on that. The phenomenon was enough to attract a major article by The Washington Post.   The kicker was this: The money wasn't enough for young lawyers to stay with those jobs which they found long in the hours and short on stimulating assignments. Often they were locked into proofreading documents at the
Read more