AI must be guided by humanism and compassion, not just tech experts

It is futile to resist change because tech progress is autonomous; nobody oversees developments. Only natural intelligence - humanism, conscience, and compassion of leaders -can provide oversight

I recently participated in the “Middle Eastern North African International Security Conference on Artificial Intelligence”. Did you exclaim, “Whoa, you?” I had warned the organisers of my deficiency as a techie. However, they sought my perspective as a user and business leader. We had a deal.

Reflective conversation with the erudite S Ramadorai, copious readings, and reliance on natural intelligence helped me to prepare for this plenary session. Fellow panelists were serious techies like former Google-X chief business officer Mo Gawdat and Ali Zubayd, director general of cyber security, Saudi Arabia. Mo Gawdat had transformed from being an “archetypal techie” to a “happiness expert”. This gave me added comfort. If truth be told, technology is political as well as social. Just as war cannot be left to generals, artificial intelligence (AI) cannot be left to techies. As the Ethiopians say, fish discover water last!

It is futile to resist change because technological progress is autonomous; nobody oversees developments. Indeed, only natural intelligence — humanism, conscience, and compassion of leaders —can provide oversight. The high-decibel prediction of cataclysmic change is part of hype-marketing. There is no reason to be overwhelmed by the evangelists, futurologists, and astrologers with their terminology and forecasts of impending singularity.

Like previous generations, my generation survived, arguably even prospered, through initialisations and portmanteau words like EDP, IT, IP, Y2K, dotcom, IoT, EV, and ESG. Surely, we got something right by adapting relentlessly to new ideas and vocabulary as we grew older. I do, however, emphasise the need for leaders to seriously understand the user case for rapidly developing technologies. While AI must and will gain human mindshare, natural intelligence should not diminish — there lies the secret sauce. As Rabindranath Tagore wrote in a different, though pertinent, context: Seemaar Majhe Aseem Tumi, Baajao Aapon Sur (within bounds you are limitless, play on).

Next week will be remembered as the 44th anniversary of averting the destruction of the planet. Stanislav Petrov, a Moscow techie, had developed the foolproof Soviet OKO, an early warning system. On September 24, 1983, he noticed blips on his screen — five American ballistic missiles were on their way to Russia. Instinct told him it was false. He reported the signals to his superiors but, mercifully, added that they seemed false. Twenty-thousand nuclear weapons on both sides meant a million times more destructive power than Hiroshima plus Nagasaki.

Stanislav’s natural intelligence and human judgement caused him to doubt the veracity of the signals. In later years, after records were made public, he was feted. He would hiss in Russian, “Chush, I was just doing my job.” He had listened to his inner voice. “I did not want to be remembered for starting the third world war,” he said. It appears that the sun’s reflection from clouds on the mirrors of the Soviet satellites caused the unexpected malfunction. Robert Oppenheimer’s Bhagavad Gita I am Death moment was averted by the triumph of natural intelligence over technology!

This is a sobering story in the face of speculation about the imminent triumph of AI over natural intelligence. Here is the brahma mantra for mankind. So long as the world has leaders with judgement — humane, compassionate, and no-nonsense in their thinking — natural intelligence will prevail.

Indian philosophy recognises four ascending stages of the human mind as thinking, ego, intellect, and consciousness. We spend most of our waking hours in the two lower states of “thinking” and “ego”. Occasionally, we tap into the “intellect” state. Other than an Aurobindo Ghosh or a Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, few explore the “consciousness” stage. But consciousness exists and hosts the potent chitta that AI is unlikely to deliver for a long time. Perhaps consciousness worked for Petrov. Humanity, consciousness, and compassion are prized attributes of the human species.

Past events are history, the future is a mystery, only the present can provide ecstasy. The idea of ecstasy of the present is supported by writings on human consciousness and mindfulness. Humankind needs that ecstasy and mindfulness to survive!

Humans globalised war through belligerence, geography through colonialism, religion through evangelism, markets through multinationalism. Of course, AI needs oversight as strongly advocated earlier this week by AI scientists from the US, China, and Europe at the Berggruen Institute, Venice.

What the world desperately needs, however, is the globalisation of humanism and compassion. It is not my approaching octogenarian status that triggers this caution and idealism. Read the 1,000 pages of Nexus, Yuval Noah Hariri’s latest book, to derive a stimulating and erudite exposition of related ideas.

The writer’s latest book is JAMSETJI TATA: Powerful Learnings for Corporate Success, co-authored with Harish Bhat. gopal@themindworks.me