One thing I, as a lay person do not understand about the benefits of AI: Why do we think the corporations that would own these systems would care for the poor and sick? We already have the cure for many of the worst diseases in the world, but we do not cure them because the people who suffer them do not have money to pay for the cure. The same goes for poverty, we have enough food and wealth already for everyone to live dignified and fulfilling lives but we do not share the resources because some people want more than what is required. Why would this distribution problem not continue under AGI? Why would not AGI be focused on marginal life extension for the rich, and bigger houses, space travel etc. for the middle classes rather than getting more resources to the poorest? I would love to be convinced that this is not likely to continue happening under very capable AI—I hope that I have missed convincing writing on how AGI within the current economic system would differ significantly from how other increases in productivity and technical progress get distributed (or that AGI will radically transform the economic system to cater more to the marginalized).
In other words, it seems to me that to solve poverty and global health, power needs to shift. And power structures do not seem to be something you can fix with science or technology.
One thing I, as a lay person do not understand about the benefits of AI: Why do we think the corporations that would own these systems would care for the poor and sick? We already have the cure for many of the worst diseases in the world, but we do not cure them because the people who suffer them do not have money to pay for the cure. The same goes for poverty, we have enough food and wealth already for everyone to live dignified and fulfilling lives but we do not share the resources because some people want more than what is required. Why would this distribution problem not continue under AGI? Why would not AGI be focused on marginal life extension for the rich, and bigger houses, space travel etc. for the middle classes rather than getting more resources to the poorest? I would love to be convinced that this is not likely to continue happening under very capable AI—I hope that I have missed convincing writing on how AGI within the current economic system would differ significantly from how other increases in productivity and technical progress get distributed (or that AGI will radically transform the economic system to cater more to the marginalized).
In other words, it seems to me that to solve poverty and global health, power needs to shift. And power structures do not seem to be something you can fix with science or technology.