Key Takeaways:
- The release of ChatGPT on November 30, 2022, marks a significant milestone in the development of AI technology.
- AI has the potential to be as impactful as the telegraph, telephone, car, radio, or television, and could change the basic contours of society.
- The AI revolution is already transforming industries and fields, with tens of millions of people turning to AI for various purposes.
- AI differs from previous tools in history because it evolves on its own, making it difficult to predict its long-term effects.
- The impact of AI could be compared to world-historical turning points such as the American and French Revolutions and the Industrial Revolution.
Introduction to AI’s Impact
The release of ChatGPT on November 30, 2022, was clearly a milestone, but its significance is still being measured. According to the author, "The tendency in our silicon-dominated times is to measure AI against other Big Tech developments: the World Wide Web in 1993 or the launch of personal computers in 1977." However, these innovations, while groundbreaking, did not change the basic contours of society. To understand the true impact of AI, we need to look to more distant breakthroughs, such as the telegraph, which "jolted people’s sense of what was possible and of how they fit (or didn’t fit) into a world that suddenly moved faster than they could."
The Telegraph and AI
The telegraph, which sent its first message in 1844, was a distance-conquering marvel that reshaped the way people communicated and understood the world. Similarly, AI is already transforming industries and fields, with tens of millions of people turning to AI for financial advice, sexual gratification, and even spiritual encounters. As the author notes, "Three years into the AI revolution, we can safely say that this technology will be just as impactful as the telegraph or the telephone, not to mention the car, the radio, or the television." The impact of AI is already being felt, with data centers being built at a frantic pace and stressing our energy grids.
The Evolution of AI
AI differs from previous tools in history because it evolves on its own. This means that its impact could be far-reaching and unpredictable, changing the daily routines of society and the trajectory of change itself. As the author writes, "AI has the potential to do (and undo) even more than that, touching every aspect of life while also taking us in radically unforeseen directions." This is in contrast to previous innovations, which, while significant, did not have the same level of autonomy and adaptability as AI.
Historical Comparisons
The impact of AI could be compared to world-historical turning points such as the American and French Revolutions and the Industrial Revolution. As the author notes, "There are few instances in history of a transformation more complete than has been seen in Massachusetts," where the Industrial Revolution transformed the economy and society. However, AI has the potential to be even more transformative, touching every aspect of life and taking us in radically unforeseen directions. The author quotes Francis Underwood, who wrote in 1890, "In place of a sleepy arcadia, ‘beautiful in remoteness,’ Understood described a ‘marvellously active’ society that centered on factories rather than farms."
The Future of AI
The future of AI is uncertain, and its impact will depend on how it is developed and used. As the author writes, "I’m not suggesting that AI will upend the global political order or population. I’m confident that most institutions will adapt and hopeful that some will harness the radical possibilities of AI to do good and great things." However, the author also notes that "we will look back on Nov. 30, 2022, as a moment of moments, the day when we woke up to find another decision-making intelligence in our midst." This highlights the significance of the release of ChatGPT and the potential for AI to shape the future of humanity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the release of ChatGPT on November 30, 2022, marks a significant milestone in the development of AI technology. AI has the potential to be as impactful as the telegraph, telephone, car, radio, or television, and could change the basic contours of society. As the author notes, "Nothing like that has happened since the Santa Maria arrived in the eastern Bahamas on Oct. 12, 1492." The impact of AI will depend on how it is developed and used, but one thing is certain: it will be a transformative force that will shape the future of humanity.
https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2026/01/ai-may-be-the-biggest-thing-to-happen-in-530-years-jason-opal.html