Kalinga War, Atom Bomb, Artificial Intelligence
Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao
Telangana Today (20-12-2024)
{Repentance may spark transformation and guide the world towards a more responsible future. Drawing lessons from Ashoka, Oppenheimer, Hinton, and now Suchir Balaji’s experiences and warnings is certainly advantageous} – Editor Note
Twenty-six-year-old Suchir Balaji, an ‘OpenAI Researcher-Turned-Whistleblower,’ who publicly spoken against ‘Artificial Intelligence Company OpenAI's Practices’ was found dead in San Francisco (USA). In an interview with the New York Times, Balaji revealed his growing concerns about the potential societal harm of the technology, particularly criticizing OpenAI's alleged use of copyrighted data. He said OpenAI violated the law and that technologies like ChatGPT were damaging the internet. Suchir Balaji, according to his LinkedIn profile, a computer science student at the University of California, worked with OpenAI for about 4 years, from November 2020 to August 2024. Well, this is an indication of the ‘Ill-Effects of Artificial Intelligence.’
In the quest for ‘Authority, Domination, and Development’ intelligentsia ‘Create Forces or Systems’ which of late are characteristically labelled as ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI),’ often going beyond their control. Since the times of ‘Horrors of Kalinga War’ through the ‘Detonation of Nuclear Weapon (Atomic Bomb)’ or the ‘Unleashed Potential of AI’ the realization of the harm caused can awaken a deep sense of regret. Emperor Ashoka turned to peace after witnessing the destruction of Kalinga, Robert Oppenheimer reflected on the irreversible consequences of Atomic Bomb, and Geoffrey Everest Hinton cautioned the world about the dangers of unchecked innovation. Suchir Balaji too might have done the same.
Advancements in AI
Intelligentsia of 'Artificial Intelligence' like Geoffrey Hinton, Demis Hassabis, John M Jumper, and John Hopfield, were awarded 2024 Nobel Prizes, recognizing their innovative contributions, associated with groundbreaking advancements in AI. Demis Hassabis, John M Jumper (Google DeepMind), and Geoffrey Hinton (Distinguished Researcher at Google Brain) were associated with Google. Thus, three from Google in the same year are awarded the World’s Highest Prize. Great!
The work of Hinton and Hopfield established AI as a field bridging ‘Computational and Physical sciences’ offering tools for both theoretical exploration and practical application. Hassabis and Jumper contributed to the development of ‘AlphaFold’ using AI system, that revolutionized ‘Protein Structure Prediction,’ that involves determining the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in a protein based amino acid sequence, using computational methods. Their Work has profound implications for biology and medicine, enabling researchers to accelerate drug discovery, understand diseases at molecular level, and address challenges like antibiotic resistance. AI's role in protein structure prediction illustrates both its transformative potential and the ethical responsibilities accompanying its use.
Geoffrey Everest Hinton, known as the ‘God Father of AI and Deep Learning’ together with John Hopfield pioneered the work on ‘Neural Networks’ that is made possible through ‘Backpropagation Algorithm’ to learn from errors, which laid the foundation for ‘Modern Deep Learning.’ This innovation is instrumental in diverse AI applications, from computer vision to language processing. Hinton, born in UK, in his PhD thesis from Edinburgh University, focused on ‘Error-Correcting Codes and Distributed Representations in Neural Networks.’ His foundational work shaped AI's trajectory. Notwithstanding his receiving the coveted Nobel Prize, Hinton has been consistently vocal about AI's potential risks.
Hinton resigned from Google in 2023 to warn and express his concerns about the ‘Dangers of Unchecked AI Advancements,’ its use in misinformation, and potential threats to humanity. The recognition of Hinton and Hopfield highlights the transformative impact of AI across disciplines. Hinton and Hopfield provided the theoretical and algorithmic frameworks that made deep learning possible, while Hassabis and Jumper demonstrated AI’s capacity to tackle real-world scientific challenges. At the same time, these achievements underscore the dual-edged nature of AI. While its potential for societal benefit is immense, the ethical and existential challenges it poses remain significant.
Need for AI
Genesis, need, concept, evolution, and effects of 'Artificial Intelligence,’ a necessary evil, are quite interesting. The term AI was coined in 1956, during the workshop known as ‘Dartmouth Conference’ or referred to as the 'Constitutional Convention of AI.' held in New Hampshire, as a result of fusing together, ‘Philosophy, Mathematics, and Computer science.’ Claude Shannon, John McCarthy, Nathaniel Rochester and Marvin Minsky, are considered as the founding fathers of AI.
The need for AI arose from humanity’s desire to automate tasks, enhance efficiency, and address complexities that exceed human cognitive capacities, like solving mathematical problems, simulating chess games, developing expert systems in fields like medicine. Over the decades, AI’s potential grew exponentially, and gradually-from symbolic AI in its early days, which relied on logic and rule-based systems, the field shifted to data-driven methods like ‘Neural Networks.’
Necessary Evil
AI’s evolution has significant milestones, including the advent of conversational agents like ‘ChatGPT.’ AI deliberately transformed as a ‘Necessary Evil’ profoundly impacting every aspect of human life, that included surveillance systems, often eroding civil liberties. AI embodies promise and perils of modern innovation, and hence, balancing its transformative capabilities with safeguards against misuse remains a challenge.
In this context, for a comparison of ‘Effects and Adverse Effects’ delving in to genesis of the ‘First Nuclear Weapon,’ to be more precise, ‘The First Atomic Bomb’ (Little Boy) detonated over a populated area, occurred on August 6, 1945 over the Japanese city of Hiroshima, while the ‘Second Atomic Bomb’ (Fat Man) detonated on August 9, 1945 over Nagasaki, may perhaps be appropriate.
The development of nuclear weapons was part of the secret USA Government ‘Research Initiative’ during World War II, the Manhattan Project. Accordingly, the world's ‘First Nuclear Explosion’ or testing the ‘World's First-Ever Atomic Bomb’ called 'The Gadget' occurred on July 16, 1945. The device was tested successfully in Los Alamos, as approved earlier, as the site for ‘Atomic-Bomb Scientific Laboratory’ on November 25, 1942, by Brigadier General Leslie R Groves and Physicist J Robert Oppenheimer. The code name for the test was 'Trinity.'
Robert Oppenheimer, the ‘Father of Atomic Bomb,’ after the bomb was dropped by the USA Bomber ‘Enola Gay’ causing unprecedented destruction, killing several and leaving many with effects like radiation sickness, injuries, burns, cancer, genetic damage, and psychological trauma for decades, was reported to have expressed deep repentance. He quoted ‘Bhagavad Gita,’ and said, ‘Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.’ He read Gita and Megha Duta in Sanskrit. Inspired by Gita's lessons, that shaped his philosophy of life, he always kept a copy of Gita near his bedside. He opposed development of ‘Hydrogen Bomb.’ The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) had its origin in Robert Oppenheimer’s advice.
Repentance of Emperor Ashoka, Robert Oppenheimer, and Geoffrey Everest Hinton has similarities. Ashoka waged a brutal war against Kalinga, resulting in massive loss of life. Witnessing the destruction caused, Ashoka renounced violence, gradually embraced Buddhism, dedicated himself to peace, moral governance, and the welfare of his people.
Robert Oppenheimer who played a vital role in the creation of the atomic bomb, as the ‘Scientific Director of the Manhattan Project’ experienced deep remorse over the bomb’s devastating impact. His repentance manifested in his later advocacy for arms control and his regret for having unleashed such a destructive force.
Geoffrey Hinton, the ‘Godfather of Artificial Intelligence’ who played a pivotal role in its development to suit modern AI needs, particularly ‘Neural Networks’ which have led to significant technological advancements, has expressed concern about the unforeseen consequences of AI, particularly its potential to disrupt economies, societies, and even human autonomy. He has voiced regret about the paths AI research is taking, acknowledging the need for greater caution and ethical considerations in AI development.
The true wisdom lies in understanding consequences of a creation. Repentance, may spark transformation, and guide the world towards a more responsible future. Drawing lessons from Ashoka, Oppenheimer, Hinton, and Suchir experiences and warnings, is certainly advantageous. This message subtly weaves together the shared human experience of reckoning with consequences of actions and potential for growth through reflection and remorse.
(The Writer is an Independent Journalist)
