How you use intelligence
economictimes.indiatimes.comintelligence is a great privilege and wonderful blessing. But, points out HH The Dalai Lama, if you choose to use that intelligence to further your fears, hatred and anger, then the very intelligence that is a unique attribute can turn into an instrument of destruction. We cannot blame intelligence for our wrongdoings.
This is so similar to technology that works like magic. Technology itself is neutral; how you use it, for what purpose and for what end, makes it good or bad, positive or negative. We cannot blame technology for nuclear war threats, for designer babies, for plastic that is now threatening our lives, for global warming and so on.
It all boils down to intention. Why do we do what we do, for what end? Can the means justify the end or vice versa? Who decides what is good and what is bad? A simple test is that anything that encroaches on another's rights, anything that adversely impacts health, anything that ruins the environment, cannot be good. Whatever adds value to life, what makes people happy and spreads loving kindness cannot be bad.
With AI growing in numbers and reach, will humans have the capability to feed into bots, parameters that determine what is good and what is bad, when even they are unclear on this? As it all depends on intent, context and more, can good intentions get programmed into AI systems? Or AI systems carry the intentions of those who design them? The jury is still out on that one.
