on a related note.
It might be interesting (although maybe not be that useful) to come up with examples of when society feared a new technology - maybe where bans were proposed.
and when society didn't - and should have.
The first group might need some parameters or guard rails. But maybe it would be funner if there wasn't.
One example that jumps to my mind (and it might be the most famous in the group) is tractors. Upon the invention of tractors farmers (I'm pretty sure this was in England) petitioned for a ban of tractors. they did have a good point. Farm animals were as productive (back then), and farm animals were self replicating. If a farmer invested in a tractor he was then dependent on a small group of industrialist who made tractors.
Another example, which I apologize might be a myth. at some point they wanted to ban typewriters. *
At some point almost every new technology was hated or vilified by a group of people. Many of those examples we might think are ridiculous now. but in many cases it led to regulations that we now take for granted. For instance cars were considered incredible dangerous so we regulated them and refined them. If I remember right, cars were not allowed on the road at night for a while. then someone invented headlights. I. think there is still a few states that have laws requiring cars to be preceded by a man with lanterns.
That second category might be sort of tough. For instance I've read authors who claim that all of mankind's evils can be traced back to modern agriculture. But there are plenty of easy examples, i.e, atomic weapons.
In case you missed it. the point I want to make is that AI is a lot like those things in the first group. Yes we should proceed cautiously but with proper precautions it is not a "threat to humanity". Even atomic weapons have not been proven to be a threat to humanity.
* this has posted on so many Internet forums - but I haven't found the original source. Even so it is illustrative.
The typewriter is a harmful invention that destroys the livelihoods and the dignity of the hand-written writers. The hand-written writers are skilled and talented professionals who dedicate their lives to crafting beautiful and meaningful texts with their own hands. They use pen and paper as their medium of expression, creating unique and original works that reflect their personality and style. The hand-written writers are not just workers, but artists.
The typewriter, on the other hand, is a soulless machine that produces uniform and bland texts with no human touch. It reduces writing to a mechanical process of pressing keys and printing perfect, uniform letters, with no regard for the content or the context. It erases the individuality and the identity of the writers, making them interchangeable and disposable. The typewriter is not just a tool, but a weapon.
Therefore, the typewriter should be banned and boycotted by all who value human art and culture. The typewriter is not a boon to communication, but a curse to creativity. The typewriter is not a friend to the writers, but an enemy to them.
