It seems every day we are inching closer to an efficient AGI. Just this morning I saw on twitter a post in which GPT-3 generated a full 90’s era rap song advertising a blockchain with extreme accuracy and precision of language. If you had given me 3 hours I still doubt I could’ve done a better job. It’s more obvious than ever, with digital images of every style, and soon essays and songs, that we are outsourcing our creativity to AI.
It won’t be long before an AGI can accomplish any creative task that we could dream of. Songs, ballads, art, lessons, codes, programs, books, essays, etc.
Creative thinking interacts with the human brain in some crazy ways. We don’t even understand half of it yet. Some notable research proven and yet poorly understood are:
- Walking, running, and other healthy physical activities induce creativity. [1]
- Creative thinking decreases the risk of being diagnosed with dementia and other cognitive impairments [2]
It’s clear that creative thinking is closely tied with healthy behaviors and outcomes. If you want to think creatively, you are more likely to go for a walk or engage in physical activity, which in turn is good for the mind and body, in order to get your creative thoughts flowing. If you have the routine of thinking creatively, you are more likely to live older with a sound mind and body, and avoid cognitive impairments.
There’s a reason that creative outlets are so often seen as therapeutic. When the stresses of the world are weighing heavy there is no better feeling than grabbing a guitar and strumming your favorite tune. Close your eyes and imagine walking out to the mountains with a blank canvas and water colors. Now imagine your favorite rapper walking into a recording studio with freestyle verses on their mind. What about taking your first steps into an ancient cathedral to see the unbelievably intricate architectures fill your field of perception? One of those mental images put a smile on your face.
Imagine a world where that creativity is outsourced.
Not only do we no longer have the need to think creatively, AGI will do that for us, but we also lose the human element behind a creative invention. The knowledge that an emotionless machine rather than an individual was the creator of something is immediately less satisfying.
This world will encourage less healthy habits and in many ways end up devoid of connection and meaning.
Artificial General Intelligence is not something to take lightly. I hope anyone reading this will think a bit more critically about what we are building and whether excitement is the right reaction.