“Do You Read Me, HAL?”
The negative fantasies surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) were anchored in many minds by the HAL 9000 Computer, the “silicon villain,” in the groundbreaking 1968 film of Arthur C. Clarke’s novel “2001: A Space Odyssey.” HAL is “pictured” above. If you never saw the movie, the story is a mission to Jupiter in 2001 and the “intelligent” computer HAL 9000 who decides it knows better than its programmers how to assure its success. Check out the chilling 2-minute scene between Hal and the mission’s commander that helped make two generations wary of the risks of AI.
“2001” author Dr. Clarke warned that “We overestimate technology in the short term and underestimate technology in the long term.” A recent blog post by Dr. Scott Galloway (a professional skeptic) suggests that we may be at the end of the overrated short runs and at the beginning of an underrated long-run.In his “No Mercy, No Malice” blog he projects an optimistic future for AI based on recent practical applications. He writes “I believe we’re in the midst of a great leap forward in AI, and that this tech will be transformative, not just lucrative, thanks to its utility.”(emphasis mine).
This is a business article for business leaders; it is not a technology article. Every executive should read what Dr. Galloway has to say about AI. (His blog post is well documented with further links on this subject for the curious.)
And don’t forget Dr. Clarke’s other observation about progress: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
