Disclaimer: Risking to be hit by rotten tomatoes here. However, this has been on my mind for some time.
Many people say that AI will change everything. I think it's a huge misunderstanding of AI and technology in general. Since AI is a technology, let's examine how emerging technologies "changed everything" in the past.
The common pattern I am observing is that the countries which already do well, are set to adopt and benefit more from emerging technologies. At no time introduction of new technology alone was able to turn weak country into strong, decay into progress. It cannot change the trajectory of the big picture things, but can of course improve what already going well.
One crazy example which comes to mind is nuclear energy in its civilian and military applications. A new technology hasn't changed the balance of power in the world. The countries which were industrial leaders remained being leaders. The countries which were strong militarily at a time remained relatively strong compared to other countries. No poor country became rich by building a nuclear power station.
Electricity -- the same way. Before electricity there were comparatively strong and weak countries in the world. Introduction of electricity didn't change the equation, but managed to add many conveniences to lives of people.
Internet -- surely, it changed many things, except it didn't in itself turn poverty into prosperity in general, except a few relatively isolated places.
Why is all that? First of all, relative strength is an indication of capability. Weakness means being less capable to adopt new technology as well as many other things. This means that all things being the same, technology in itself doesn't make a difference for countries in crisis compared to other countries which do well.
Second, there has never been a major new technology or scientific discovery which stayed entirely secret to the whole world for long duration of time. This means that there is only a limited window of opportunity to exploit new technology to gain advantage in the world, be it a company or a country.
When people say that AI will change everything, I say it will change something, but surely not to an extent that:
1) Food becomes abundant and cheap where people starve
2) Healthcare becomes cheap, affordable and accessible where it is exorbitantly expensive and difficult to access
3) Roads become free of congestion where the congestion is a huge problem
4) Country in crisis becomes an emerging leader
5) Customer support becomes much faster and much more helpful where it's not already
6) A company seeking protection from creditors becomes new blue chip overflowing with cash
P. S. the problems our countries are facing most likely haven't been caused by lack of AI and adding AI isn't likely to solve them
Many people say that AI will change everything. I think it's a huge misunderstanding of AI and technology in general. Since AI is a technology, let's examine how emerging technologies "changed everything" in the past.
The common pattern I am observing is that the countries which already do well, are set to adopt and benefit more from emerging technologies. At no time introduction of new technology alone was able to turn weak country into strong, decay into progress. It cannot change the trajectory of the big picture things, but can of course improve what already going well.
One crazy example which comes to mind is nuclear energy in its civilian and military applications. A new technology hasn't changed the balance of power in the world. The countries which were industrial leaders remained being leaders. The countries which were strong militarily at a time remained relatively strong compared to other countries. No poor country became rich by building a nuclear power station.
Electricity -- the same way. Before electricity there were comparatively strong and weak countries in the world. Introduction of electricity didn't change the equation, but managed to add many conveniences to lives of people.
Internet -- surely, it changed many things, except it didn't in itself turn poverty into prosperity in general, except a few relatively isolated places.
Why is all that? First of all, relative strength is an indication of capability. Weakness means being less capable to adopt new technology as well as many other things. This means that all things being the same, technology in itself doesn't make a difference for countries in crisis compared to other countries which do well.
Second, there has never been a major new technology or scientific discovery which stayed entirely secret to the whole world for long duration of time. This means that there is only a limited window of opportunity to exploit new technology to gain advantage in the world, be it a company or a country.
When people say that AI will change everything, I say it will change something, but surely not to an extent that:
1) Food becomes abundant and cheap where people starve
2) Healthcare becomes cheap, affordable and accessible where it is exorbitantly expensive and difficult to access
3) Roads become free of congestion where the congestion is a huge problem
4) Country in crisis becomes an emerging leader
5) Customer support becomes much faster and much more helpful where it's not already
6) A company seeking protection from creditors becomes new blue chip overflowing with cash
P. S. the problems our countries are facing most likely haven't been caused by lack of AI and adding AI isn't likely to solve them