Today, March 22nd, 2023, it is Ugadi, which marks the start of the new year for Telugu and Kannada people. Today also marks the start of a new conflict — the Human-Machine War. While Google announced their new competitor to ChatGPT, the Google Bard, this war is not just limited to software. The impact of machines on humans, animals, and natural resources will be widespread.
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As a Software Architect who previously worked on Nano Technology at Lurie Nano Fab, University of Michigan, I feel that the introduction of AI in Nano research and industry will greatly change the field. Currently, Nano Fabrication Process is quite primitive. Researchers are essentially blindfolded, as we can’t see what is happening at the sub-micron level. Therefore, the trial and error process can take months to progress. With AI, this process will become much simpler, allowing us to test and design hundreds of designs in one experiment, with quick results. We can also use AI to automate the testing process.
While this is a positive development, I’m concerned about the potential for uncontrollable variations that could arise by mistake or intention, particularly when mixing Nano tech, Biology/Virology, and AI designs. Even destroying biohazardous agents should be a well-thought-out and well-designed process.
AI agents from big companies will not be limited to software for long. They will soon spread to other domains and technologies, simply because their competitors will. The competition to acquire more knowledge and market share is going to spread to other domains. Machines don’t have an identity like humans; they only have targets. If an AI machine is designed to accomplish a task, and it finds a quicker solution using Nano tech, it will pursue that solution. Empathy, kindness, and emotions are just rules in the AI program.
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Nuclear bombs are location-specific, but biohazardous dangers are not. They can and will spread like wildfire. The introduction of AI into Nano tech and the bio world is a challenge that will determine the fate of humanity and all other life on earth.