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photo by Dominik Scythe on Unsplash
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Have you heard that proverb “judge a person’s character by how they treat the waiter”?
Or perhaps you’ve seen social media posts reframing the same concept into “I was raised to treat the CEO with the same level of respect as the janitor”.
Well soon, we can infer, this idiom is to be amended:
“Judge a person’s character by how they treat the robot.”
I know that might sound outlandish, but hear me out.
This is a strain of empathy we, as human beings, must learn to adopt and develop sooner than previously believed. The age is fast approaching where we will co-exist with a form of consciousness, recursive and mechanical by nature; a sentience that rivals our very own. The Age of Em, as Robin Hanson would say.
The public conversation needs to start now. It needs to be addressed in campaigns and classrooms. Something and somewhere more concrete than simple science-fiction. To be honest, this conversation is already happening among technicians and scientists - just not on a scale digestible enough for the entire population.
So consider this a recall for how we learn to empathize.
Unfortunately, we haven’t even yet mastered empathy across our ethnicities or species. Our collective character is askew.
We’ve been indoctrinated by fear of different. And that must change.
“A brilliant new scientific landscape that will reshape human destiny is now truly opening up. We are now entering a new golden age of neuroscience.” - Michio Kaku, from his 2014 book The Future of the Mind.
Artificial intelligence is already here. Saudi Arabia has recently granted its first citizenship to a robot, Sophia, and she’s already begun calling for women’s equal rights. Many of our homes are equipped with Amazon Echo or Google Home. Our phones come pre-installed with programs like Siri or Cortana.
This evolutionary sentience brings many complications. And we all need to be prepared - not just those wearing the lab coats or funding operations.
Some go on to say the singularity is already here. So let me ask: How will you adjust? How will you embrace the change?
Being divided makes us easier to conquer. Easier to control. It makes us frustrated and docile. Fear becomes the tool used against us.
Only through love and kindness are we at our strongest.
It’s imperative now, more than ever, that we embrace and accept our differences and diversity. Because the divide between man and machine will only drive us further towards extinction if we aren’t careful.
These more admirable attributes will require respect across sentients. Animals, robots, other human beings, and, one might argue, even extraterrestrials. Regardless of race, creed, sex, or religion. Regardless of creator.
Character is built by how you treat other conscious beings.
We are one. All formed from the same masses of ancient stardust. Yes, that statement includes the machines we’ve built. I’m sure we can all agree on not wanting a SkyNet-endorsed future.
Everything you know is connected and the common denominator is you. If you want to create a better reality, you must first create a better you. And that goes for all of us. Including the artificial ones. Otherwise, we face a divide that will conquer our existence.
Science fiction leads to science fact. Look at the Orwells, the Asimovs, the Philip K. Dicks.
What I’m trying to say is that our future’s outcome depends on what we give it. Love or hate will change us in ways we already know. Our character will predict the future. Everything is a big circle; karma is real and so is the way you perceive reality.
Please act accordingly.
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Thank you for reading, friends! You are my biggest influence. If you eNJoyed this, please comment and share. Feel free to check out the BingBangCo. newsletter for more insight. Stay learning. Much love!
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