There's a fever sweeping the nation, a "pandemic" striking the world and a revolution taking place before our very eyes. Some of the most sought after, "safe" jobs are no longer secure and some of the most reputable companies' stocks are plummeting.
The big bad Google is letting employees go and other companies are no different. AI is here and it is coming for you...maybe.
Remember when the banks were "too big to fail"? Remember when a pension was a safe bet. Tell those to today's S&P 500. Companies are going extinct and employees are in a state of panic thinking, "Is my job next?".
Will Smith feared the robots in IRobot and Elon Musk fears the "singularity" or AI takeover is near. Andrew Yang warned us in 2016 and Stephen Hawking was worried about the path technology was traveling. Should we fear AI though?
At its core, AI is a reflection of human values. Humans program it so it is designed to mimic human desire so where are we headed? OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, fears that AI will get in the wrong hands and that seems to be where problems arise. Just like your Instagram algorithm is a reflection of your values, AI is a reflection of a collection of values of its programmers.
There's a Nikola Tesla quote I love that summarizes the danger in AI...
Think about how difficult enlightenment is to attain. Most people have to go into a Buddhist monastery and rid themselves of any possession for decades. Imagine how difficult Enlightenment is in capitalistic cultures. Now imagine the whole world being enlightened. That is close to impossible.
AI will be used for evil. AI will be used for good. Hopefully the latter outweighs the former but people are going to use this powerful tool for unimaginable evil. That is tough to cope with.
How To Survive The AI Revolution
1. Keep up with your growth as a human being.
2. Use AI to your advantage and don't be someone left behind.
3. Go back to pre-AI times. Drink your water, eat your veggies, exercise. AI is changing the world but human evolution won't catch up for centuries. Age-old health advice is more crucial now than ever.
4. Be a Good human being, not a machine without emotions. Your reputation follows you everywhere. Build goodwill and don't let mistakes get the best of you later.
5. Build character. Be conscientious, be over qualified for every position you put yourself in. Remember that AI and computers only run out of battery but they never tire.
6. Treat people with respect. AI is taking jobs, it is addicting people to Social Media, it is showing your dating profile to both everyone and no-one. Have and show empathy for the people using the algorithms because they cause lots of pain (EVERYONE!!!)
7. Read, read some more and be a perpetual learner. Subscribe to Wired.com and keep up with AI developments.
8. Chase your passions and don't get too caught up in what you "should" do. Eventually a passion will prove to be profitable AND you will be happy. Trust that. Have faith.
9. Maintain a source of income. How? Do every job presented to you with your best foot forward. Be on time. Go above and beyond. Otherwise AI will replace your job.
10. Maintain a sense of peace. Remember, life is full of suffering. Pain is inevitable. It's how you deal with that pain that will determine your peace.
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