“AI could spell the end of the human race.”
"AI presents profound risks to society and humanity.”
Prominent leaders in science and technology, such as Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk, have issued warnings about the potential risks of AI. But what exactly is AI, and what are the imminent threats we face from it?
Artificial Intelligence or in short, AI is widely recognized as the driving force behind the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution or 4IR, which is transforming the world and human society in front of our eyes. AI did not simply appear out of nowhere. It is the result of centuries of scientific and philosophical inquiry, drawing on fields such as philosophy, mathematics, logic, biology, neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, engineering (computer, electronic, and mechanical), and economics. In this sense, AI can be understood as an academic discipline that aims to create machines that can mimic human intelligence and behavior to a certain extent. It is important to note that this quest for human-like machines is not new. From simple tools like sticks to complex inventions like airplanes and computers, humans have always sought to enhance their capabilities by imitating the natural world around them. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, once compared his Macintosh computer to a bicycle, as both are accelerators of human ability, allowing us to move faster and process information more effectively. Therefore, while AI may seem like a revolutionary and disruptive technology, it is ultimately just another step in the ongoing evolution of human knowledge and progress.
So, it should be all good to embrace AI with open arms as a hi-tech accelerator just like a computer, right? It’s not that black and white. It's potentially the most transformational technology of our time, far more than combustion engine or general purpose computing technologies. Although AI may seem like a new technology, it has been in computer science for over 70 years. The first Artificial Neural Network, or in short, Neural Net, was built in 1950 at Harvard by two undergrad students, Marvin Minsky and Dean Edmonds. However, the term Artificial Intelligence was first coined in 1956 by John McCarthy in a conference held at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. The goal was to find ways to make machines that "use language, form abstractions and concepts, solve kinds of problems now reserved for humans, and improve themselves." For those who love to know the intricacies of everything that goes under the hood, for them: The core of AI is a bunch of algorithms (and models) that create the "intelligence" of solving a human problem. Algorithms are a set of instructions on how to define a problem, search for a solution to that problem in the most efficient manner, and create a model that can be repeatedly used in the real world. AI has many branches, such as Computer Vision and Perception Processing, Natural Language Processing, Decision Making, and Robotics, among others. Combining them all makes a general AI solution.
So, why are all the buzzes and all the alarm bells going off now? It’s because the advent of cheap computing power and the abundance of data gathered on the internet made it possible to turn that age-old Neural Nets into the current state of excitement. Spoiler alert: chatGPT is powered by the same fundamental Neural Nets technology (to be accurate Deep Neural Networks), invented in the 1950s. Until the 1990s computer scientists were constrained to manually train Neural Net models thus couldn’t go beyond hundreds or thousands nodes and parameters because it was not practically and economically possible to handcraft large Neural Nets and tweak their values manually. Then, the breakthrough came - with the advent of Machine Learning (ML), scientists were able to train AI models (like Neural Nets and others) with huge amounts of training datasets economically. This paradigm shift gave the rebirth of AI. Now, a Neural Net model is built with millions or billions of nodes and parameters and trained using terabytes of data. As an example, the most recent sensation in AI, the ChatGPT, uses the GPT3.0 language model that has 175 billion parameters and is trained on hundreds of terabytes or more training dataset.
Now that you have some understanding of AI, let's explore where it can lead us. As the saying goes for science, "the sky's the limit." What we're witnessing today with AI is just the tip of the iceberg. However, we are currently operating in the realm of Artificial Narrow Intelligence or ANI, also known as “Weak AI”, which is purpose-built for tasks such as face recognition, email spam detection, search engines, language translation and conversation, autonomous driving, etc. The real breakthrough will occur when Artificial General Intelligence or AGI, also known as “Strong AI”, becomes widely available. Boston Dynamics Atlas or SPOT robots are glimpses of what AGI can achieve. But, we don't have any “Strong AI” publicly available yet. Once we do, it will be like having another human that lives side by side with us, capable of doing what we can do and maybe even surpassing our capabilities (that would be Artificial Super Intelligence or ASI). The possibilities are endless and thus comes with risks. The biggest concern is that AI may eventually make us obsolete once it starts self-improvement. If the genie is out of the bottle, it may not be possible to put it back. As we're giving away the authority of the human species to run machines independently for the first time in human history, fearing it could be a natural reaction. However, if someone suggests that AI is inherently evil then I would argue that there’s nothing in AI that makes it inherently evil from a muslim’a perspective. Like, interest-based economy, gambling, alcohol, drugs, or toxic materials that are inherently harmful to humans. It's up to humans to make AI good or evil. AI is based on a few fundamental constructs such as algorithms and other natural sciences that we use every day. Interestingly enough, we, the Muslims, invented the algorithm which is the heart of AI: "a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer." Muslim mathematician Al-Khwarizmi in the year 820 AD, was the first to generalize solving equations using the principles of equality in his book, الكتاب المختصر في حساب الجبر والمقابلة, in english, "The Compendious Book on Calculation by Restoration and Reduction." So, questioning whether AI is evil is also questioning our own contribution to human civilization.
On the other hand, Islam never forbids the use of technology and knowledge for human benefit. In fact, the use of technology and knowledge for the betterment of humanity is part of Islamic history and tradition. For instance, during the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Khulafa-e-Rashideen, various governance systems were established and improved upon. Khalifa Umar (r.a.) introduced the Hijri calendar, and Arabs incorporated Hindu numerals that are now used worldwide as Arabic Hindu numerals. Muslims during the Golden Age acquired knowledge through the Translation Movement for ancient Greek and Indian books and founded the modern sciences, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and astronomy. Even the very definition of modern scientific method was codified by Ḥasan Ibn al-Haytham, known as Alhazen in the west.
Allah repeatedly emphasizes the importance of acquiring knowledge and understanding the magnificent creation and purpose of Allah in the Holy Quran. The Quran mentions various engineering technologies of ancient times, such as body armor, dams, and boats, which were taught by Allah to prophets like Dawood (AS), Dhil-Qarnayen, and Noah (AS), respectively. These technical skills were used for the purpose set forth by Allah. Therefore, there shouldn’t be hesitation in utilizing AI and other scientific advancements as long as it doesn’t contradict with the Quran and Sunnah but fulfill the purpose of life set in the Quran. It is thus not beneficial to debate the permissibility of these technologies, but rather to focus on how we can use them for the betterment of humanity while adhering to the principles of Islam. While it is true that AI would replace a vast number of human jobs, it would also bring countless benefits in all fields. Throughout history, we have seen innovations such as the wheel, steam engine, electricity, and computer technology have transformed our world. For instance, computer technology displaced many job sectors but created many more opportunities and millions of previously unknown jobs in software engineering, information processing, communication, data analytics etc. Essentially, it’s now accepted that computer technologies aren’t merely driving every business but all the businesses have become technology companies. For example, AI can automate repetitive tasks, enabling us to focus on more complex work to increase productivity. It can also analyze vast amounts of data to provide insights that humans may not be able to identify and will lead to faster and better decision-making. Healthcare is another huge sector where doctors can be aided with AI technologies to diagnose and treat diseases more accurately and efficiently. In addition, we can utilize AI to protect humans from dangerous jobs, such as mine working, chemical plants, and hazardous work. It can also be used to mitigate the effects of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, forest fires, and hurricanes. For instance, we can prevent the waste of fresh water by using smart irrigation systems powered by AI. Overall, rather than fearing AI, we should embrace its potential to push the bounds of knowledge and technology and improve our lives.
While AI has enormous potential for good, those warnings from the industry leaders are real. The power and impact of AI on society are significant and could potentially have a devastating impact on humanity. One of the main concerns with AI is its ability to become self-deterministic, which poses a significant risk. However, it is worth noting that when compared to other threats that we face, AI may rank lower on the scale, such as, nuclear arsenal, genetic engineering, bio-engineering, and earth pollution: the USA and Russia hold enough nuclear warheads to destroy the world multiple times over; manipulation of biological genes in natural life and humans could lead us an irreversible course of destruction for the existence of our species; self-replicating bio-robots are being created (refers to: professor Michael Levin at Tufts University) that push human civilizations to an uncharted territory; lastly but not the least, the excessive use of earth resources, chemicals, fossil fuels, and other pollutants are causing irreversible damage to the natural balance of the ocean, atmosphere, glaciers, and the entire earth. These are just a few examples of the significant threats facing humanity.
Having said that, the threat of AI is real and paramount:
One area of concern is an unprecedented level of job replacement in a short period of time that’s never seen in human history. AI can quickly replace routine, repeatable, and even many creative jobs, potentially causing a collapse of the socio-economic structure as it will happen faster than humans' ability to learn new skills and adapt.
Another concern is the development of autonomous military machines, which could potentially lead to out-of-control situations where machines make life-or-death decisions at lightning speed.
The biggest risk AI poses to us is massive social disruption. Humans have evolved over time, but there is a limit to how much we can adapt to an engineered world without negative consequences, as seen with automation, mobile, social network, hydrocarbon, chemical, and processed/fast food technologies. AI could exacerbate these issues in many folds, potentially leading to a completely inactive lifestyle that could be detrimental to our mental and physical health.
The threat to privacy rights and personal autonomy: Dr. Mark van Rijmenam cautions, “AI presents a challenge to the privacy of individuals and organisations because of the complexity of the algorithms used in AI systems. As AI becomes more advanced, it can make decisions based on subtle patterns in data that are difficult for humans to discern. This means that individuals may not even be aware that their personal data is being used to make decisions that affect them.” Deepfakes (images, audio, and video content) created by hoaxers, exploiters, and mischief-makers using AI is another emerging area of concern, challenging not only privacy but also personal autonomy.
Finally, the apocalyptic vision of the concern that humans could be replaced by AI and robots. While there are logical arguments that can be made where AI based machines reach at the human-replacement level, history has shown that humans have the ability to control the technology they create, and the self-recycle nature of human civilization could help us overcome this challenge.
The question we should be asking ourselves is: how do we prepare for the enormous power that AI brings to humanity? There's no escape from it, even if we wanted to. If we're not ready for it, we risk ourselves being obsolete. Here are some ideas on how to prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution:
AI draws on many fields of knowledge, but its foundations are in Mathematics and Computer Science. To prepare for AI, it's essential to have a solid understanding of Algebra, Calculus, and Statistics in Mathematics, and computer algorithms, programming languages, and computer architecture in Computer Science. It's also important to understand the basics of AI, including its use of ML algorithms, models, and training, as well as Neural Networks, computer vision, and natural language processing. Ultimately, we must use AI responsibly to benefit humanity.
To remain relevant in the modern world, it's crucial to invest in educating individuals across the Muslim ummah in disciplines such as Mathematics, Biology, Physics, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Psychology, Philosophy, and Economics. In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, experts in AI will be in high demand, alongside doctors, engineers, teachers, and religious scholars. By cultivating a pool of AI experts, we can ensure that the Muslim ummah is well-prepared to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by this rapidly-evolving field.
To promote ethical usage of AI and guard against its abuse, we must engage with civic and political institutions to establish norms and legislation. Although not perfect, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) provides an example of how we can contain disasters through international agreements. We should follow this model to create an international agreement for the responsible use of AI, preventing any uncontrolled and damaging outcomes.
AI presents real risks that we cannot ignore. As the khalifa, or successor, on this earth, we are responsible for taking care of it. This responsibility includes approaching the development and deployment of AI in a responsible and cautious manner, with a focus on minimizing its potential negative impacts on society. We must be mindful of our accountability and ready to stand in front of Allah and answer to Him for how we have cared for the earth.
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