All hail the robots

Why artificial intelligence should rule the world

“Humans are terrible drivers” that’s a phrase from the TED talk on the autonomous cars future. As paradoxically as it is, there is no way to argue against it: all the accidents and catastrophes are caused by human actions in some way.

There is even no need to go so far away: look at yourself the next time you do some counting in your head, and check it with calculator — if the results are different, which one will you choose? Most possibly, you already know that the human brain is a fickle, unreliable thing.

So why hand the most important decisions over to other humans’ brains?

I you look in politics, you see a lot of fighting. People spend years to get fighting to the top position, and once they got it, they fight even harder to keep it. Compromising or “removing” rivals, creating secret alliances, giving spectacular speeches and undercover moves, gathering supporters and shutting up disagreeing mouths — just imagine the amount of energy used to stay near the wheel. The leftovers are spent on actual ruling: roads built, science and education financed, laws written and applied.

Ruling is not a “King of the hill” game. It’s a service. It’s getting stuff done. A set of algorithms which can be written and performed.

There is hardly a way to predict exactly how a person will perform these services, but who cares — humans are quite far from rationally choosing right leaders. Our brains are wired to stories and emotions. We don’t follow functions, we follow personalities. The main tool of a successful leader is not a detailed roadmap — it’s the media planning. It’s the decision which emotional button to push — fear, anger, or pride.

What if the world could be controlled by something which just calculates the most effective thing to do in every situation, without looking at the personal experience and bothering with public image?

Even if you choose the most caring, rational and reasonable person (without asking why on Earth would they need such a power) it’s still not safe. Apart from the fact that they will need to work hard to secure their place by gratifying their supporters and bargaining with enemies, the power itself has a distorting effect on human personality, and I think you’ve experienced this effect already. Even if you never had a leading position, or a lover which needs you much more that you need them, or a baby — I bet you did some weird shit with animals or insects when you was a kid. Probably it’s in the “human being” starting pack.

We don’t need any of that. Just as we don’t want traffic jams or accidents but safe roads and easy trips. We don’t need wars, corruption and blind actions, we need thoughtful management, sustainable decisions and rational facilitation of normal life processes.

In this cute world where the artificial intellect finds solutions for society benefit is no place for fighting for power, corruption and opposition. You don’t like the way things work? Go get a degree in finance, sociology, law, culture or wherever you see a problem, and define a process which will do a better job. Decentralized, open source, big data use — all these nice concepts can really do some good job to the well-being of the humanity.

Or at least a promising concept for a new “Black mirror” script.