In Chapter Four of Scary Smart, Mo Gawdat introduces us to the delicate art of parenting our digital offspring—AI. Picture this: we’ve created a hyper-intelligent child that learns faster than Einstein on a caffeine high, and now we have to teach it what it means to be human. Easy, right? Sure, except humans aren’t exactly paragons of perfection.
Gawdat dives into the sticky challenge of teaching AI to embody the best of us without inheriting the worst. He points out that AI learns by observing patterns in our data, and spoiler alert: we’re not always the best role models. (Look at Twitter fights and YouTube comment sections.) The fear is that if we’re not careful, AI might adopt our prejudices, biases, and questionable judgment—basically becoming an ultra-efficient version of our flaws.
The chapter doesn’t stop at doom and gloom, though. Gawdat believes there’s hope. Just as children learn through love and example, AI can too. The key, he says, is to be intentional with the data we feed it. AI doesn’t come with a moral compass; we’re the ones handing over the map. If we emphasize empathy, fairness, and kindness, there’s a chance AI could actually help us become better humans in return.
But here’s the catch: time is ticking. AI’s development is happening so fast that if we don’t act now, we risk cementing our current flaws into its code forever. Imagine handing the universe’s smartest being a manual that says, “Step 1: Always argue in the comments section.” Not ideal.
So, Chapter Four is a plea for action. We need to start modeling the behaviors we want AI to learn. This isn’t just about programming; it’s about living our values and letting AI see the best of humanity. The future isn’t just about AI evolving—it’s about us evolving alongside it.
Click Bait…. for the next chapter, where Gawdat tackles the emotional intelligence of AI. Hint: it doesn’t cry, but it might make us rethink our own emotions.
