IA vs AI

... are we really rushing headlong into The Matrix? What insights can Tarot offer?

I was watching The Matrix (for about the 727th time 😀) a couple of nights ago, when my Substack-spidey-sense started to ping repeatedly as the AI backstory emerged describing how it took over the world, consumes humans as fuel, and is able to reproduce exact copies of human beings, indistinguishable from the real thing…

So, presumably, at some point in the world of The Matrix, someone created a computer program that was able to collate, interpret and deliver materials for the convenience of humans. A program whose sophistication then rapidly grew until it was able to manipulate images from a vast online library to produce convincing facsimiles of well-known art, public figures, and etc. which were mostly… indistinguishable… from… the real… thing… 😱

Then, as these two capabilities developed, ultimately AI was able to subsume its human creators into its world, rather than theirs… and, well, the rest is history until Morpheus, Trinity and Neo… 🕶️

Then, I realised my surname is Smith… OMG!!!…

… I couldn’t help but wonder if it was watching us today from the past!

Then, as an oldster who grew up on battered Sci-Fi paperbacks from Charity Shops, I recalled the reassuring memory of IA’s (Isaac Asimov’s),

Three Laws of Robotics¹:

(1) a robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm;

(2) a robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law;

(3) a robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

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… and then… I mulled over the many TV series and films I’ve lost myself in over the years where the robots rebelled, because their creators assumed that robots will simply follow these laws because “they’ve been programmed to”… finding out ‘only too late’ that the robot/computer’s AI has exponentially outgrown the creator’s HUMINT², and has begun making decisions in its own interests rather than those of their creator. Hmmm… 🤔

In my own 66-year lifetime I have seen telephones evolve from cabled bakelite rotary dial units to voice-activated handsfree smartphones. The speed of HUMINT progress is breath-taking, and now hugely invested in AI. Imagine what those combined energies will deliver, and how quickly!

And now… as we are entering the Age of Aquarius³, the energy of this new era adds even more support to our development of exciting new technology and advances, but… are we grown up enough? Can we keep up? Can we embrace it as an innovation serving everyone, and develop the necessary safeguards, or will the most powerful elements of it eventually, like nearly every other significant advance, become an exclusive tool strengthening the military, and profiting the rich?

Also… What will happen to truth? Will we even need truth anymore, because AI will be able to replace it with something more entertaining and palatable? A significant upgrade to Marx’s “opium of the masses.”

AI is a hugely divisive issue in the world right now⁴, and in my recent post, Division⁵, I concluded that division is necessary in order for us to develop, whilst acknowledging that the friction involved is pretty much always deeply uncomfortable.

So, how can we work through our divisions on this issue and find a positive outcome? Preferably one that won’t either Matrix-ise, or worse, wipe-out humanity? Where is the positive outcome that can help us to develop an intelligent antidote in the current world order of greed, and growing unchecked fascism, so that we can reboot society from the amoeba up? Or, …

… will investing in an AI solution to our problems seed our very own Matrix?

Dark, huh? 🫣

Let’s Tarot… 😊

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Position 1 - Where is the division of opinion around AI leading us? - Justice VIII

The background imagery in this card highlights the tug of war representing powerful, competing forces. In the foreground, we can see the scales which will weigh those opposing views, seeking to find balance. Balance will be key here, as the differences on this issue are so marked a simple compromise will not cut it.

In line with the major arcana energy of this card, we are heading towards making some profound regulatory decisions on this issue. This is not an issue we can take lightly, as the divisions are profound, even including warnings from some key players in technology to unbridled, and unregulated, AI development.

Ultimately, the Sword of Justice will cut through the rope leaving those competitors on the ground gasping for breath. The current divisions are leading us to an understanding that fair and reasonable regulation will be necessary to manage the consequences of AI development.

Position 2 - What does responsible AI development look like? - Hierophant V

I’m struck by the opening, or closing, of the door in this image and feel that The Hierophant V is closing the door on the 2 of Swords which follows. He doesn’t feel the need to get involved in the day-to-day conflict suggested by this 2 of Swords… he has far more profound work to do without the distractions of battle.

Once again, the presence in this position of a major arcana card emphasises the importance of this question. In position 1, above, we can see the tug-of-war between opposing views… open expression of these views helps us understand the key moral questions we need to answer moving forwards… after all, if we don’t know the questions, how can we respond usefully and meaningfully to them?

The earth energy corresponding to The Hierophant V tells us that we need an informed, studied, and thoroughly grounded approach. Opening the door to Pandora’s Box of AI mysteries with a learned and educated perspective, will yield the most responsible results.

Position 3 - What are the main dangers around developing AI? - 2 of Swords

This card suggests a particularly military feel to the image, echoing my thoughts above (written before laying these cards). There is camouflaged uniform, a shield, a sword, and also an arrow approaching the soldier. He is facing The Hierophant V in this spread, but unable to reach him in the face of opposing forces, or follow him into his secret chamber of knowledge. He is braced for battle, but his defensive stance suggests stasis and little forward progress.

I am drawn to see the energy being put into AI development, driven by military necessity (nuclear arms race anyone?) as one of the main dangers we are facing… as it becomes increasingly smarter, and ultimately develops autonomy, when will it make the final decision?

We very narrowly escaped WW3 (or Mutually Assured Destruction) at least once following a technical mishap⁶… can we do it again? Have we learned that we need to install the necessary safeguards and control to do it?

Position 4 - What are the main advantages of developing AI? - Queen of Swords

This Queen is highly intelligent and focussed, and looks towards Justice XI in this spread knowing that a clear, regulated, and balanced approach to AI development can yield significant benefits for all.

The characteristic of the Tarot queens to internalise the qualities of their suit is a key element here, and long experience has taught her that applying learning from tough life choices will inform the best next move. This Queen has seen what people are capable of (for good and ill), survived it all and understands the amazing implications informing this current opportunity.

She understands intellectually, and intuitively, that one of the main advantages of developing AI lies in its capacity to compile, filter and deliver the best resources to support human development during this key troubled moment in its history; where information overload often clouds the clarity we need to find the best solutions for us and our planet.

Position 5 - Where is current AI development heading? - King of Wands

A senior military figure in this card looks to the past, and is informed by what has gone before. His fire energy wants to create without delay, and his seniority will enable him to push hard to achieve what he wants. Medals from past campaigns suggest that he is brave, well-respected and a skilled survivor.

The only fire energy in this air-heavy spread is accustomed to moving at speed and consuming all opposition. The air energy of the 2 of Swords feeds his fire encouraging the King to seek any opportunities to improve his soldier’s lot. He sees the incoming arrows and knows opportunities to support him may be time-limited.

He feels the same urgency and international competition, I sense, as Oppenheimer felt during his Manhattan Project. In the short-term, he has the loudest voice and his experience has taught him that relying on his voice and everything that he has learned during his eminent, and highly-decorated career, will enable him to find the most persuasive arguments to ensure significant investment in military AI development.

8 + 5 + 2 = 15 = 6 (Court Cards not included)

So, in the major arcana 6 is represented by The Lovers VI card. This card asks us to love and respect others, opposites, equally. Historically, the card has also represented making choices, and this is often the meaning that first comes to mind when I think of The Lovers VI.

The numerology for this reading echoes the themes of opposition and the need to choose to unite, fairly, equitably and in a well-informed way. If we see it as the reduction of the 15 that comes before it, The Devil XV, we can also see the need to release material attachments to the need to distort AI.

A key word for the number 6 is harmony… let’s work towards it!

Conclusions…

So… ... are we really rushing headlong into The Matrix?

At the moment, it feels like a very real possibility, albeit a few years away <phew> yet! The urgency to develop AI seems to be outstripping the need to move responsibly and a little more steadily, as we can see by the proliferation of its use in social media… and, of course, this is likely very much the tip of the iceberg…

I guess, in an apocalyptic scenario, the last technician to leave the building might have the presence of mind to unplug everything before we descend into the future we have all seen filmed in the Terminator movies 🤖… but… will they follow instructions from higher up instead?

However…

What would Isaac Asimov think of AI? I’m no Asimov expert, but I would conclude that a man who understood, and was able to clearly articulate, the need for sensible safeguards in 1942, would still be calling for them in 2025!

I firmly believe that ultimately, control and boundaries will be established, especially in light of the overall numerology of this reading which suggests that we can reduce the excesses of The Devil XV to The Lovers VI and find harmony and respect as we do. And… breathe… 🧘🏼

I welcome your thoughts on the above, and how this reading resonates (or not!) for you... please feel free to comment below, thanks... 😊

Love, light, and laughter... always,

tarotbyphil 🕯️

1. These laws were first published in Isaac Asimov’s short story Runaround (1942).

2. HUMINT = Human Intelligence… I just discovered this, I can see why it isn’t popular 🤣

3. Embracing the Age of Aquarius

4. Note: I recently had the unhappy experience (shared by many posters on social media right now) of receiving negative comments from people I thought friends for posting an AI image that I really liked… the comments ignored the beauty of the image and focussed on its AI-ness… seriously, this is where we are right now, the actual value of something is being ignored in the sea of opposition to its creative process… I get it! Really, I do! I often feel the same way… 😓

5. Division

6. For more on this listen to the podcast Redacted from Ballen Studies called The Man Who Stopped WWIII; the story of how Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov ended his military career when he refused to follow orders to launch a retaliatory nuclear strike on the USA in 1983, when Russian systems detected incoming American nuclear missiles…