Why is Matrix an AI Warning for our Future?
- Michael Plis
- May 11, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
In this article I talk about the similarities of The Matrix movie and the cautions of unregulated AI and what the future may hold. Matrix is an AI warning for the future becuase generally speaking humans tend to invent new things but not see past the precipice and greedily develop everything without thinking of it's dangers. Matrix is a cautionary tale.
“We marveled at our own magnificence as we gave birth to AI” said Morpheus (a fictional character from The Matrix). These words keep coming back to me over and over again as we approach 2024 and in the subsequent years of this decade. Have we opened the Pandora's box?
The Matrix movie is a cautionary tale now more relevant than ever. AI is developing fast, self learning. Can infantile humans get a grasp on it?
Greedy corporations are not putting on enough safeguards and governments not enough regulation. I have a little more confidence in Google Gemini (formerly known Google Bard) released today to over 180 countries: https://gemini.google.com/
We must never forget about AI registration and have it always there to stem the dangers regardless of what AI companies say and do.
The Purple Pill
Morpheus (Matrix movie) once said: “You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.”
If we take the red pill (and it looks like everyone's taking the red pill), we may go down the rabbit hole of AI without regulation and we will see where that hole goes.
I would like to take the "purple" pill 🟣 which is a combination of red pill and blue pill somewhere in the middle between regulation and discovery.
Matrix an AI Warning & Forester's Prediction
Quoting Wikipedia: "Heinz von Foerster was an Austrian American scientist combining physics and philosophy, and widely attributed as the originator of Second-order cybernetics. He was twice a Guggenheim fellow and also was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1980."
Heinz von Foerster predicted that a technological singularity would occur in the early 21st century. This means that he believed that artificial intelligence would eventually become so advanced that it would surpass human intelligence.
It is now the early 21st century, and artificial intelligence has made significant progress. However, it is still unclear whether or not von Foerster's prediction will come true.
Some experts believe that we are still many years away from a technological singularity, while others believe that it could happen sooner than we think.
Only time will tell if von Foerster was right. However, his prediction is a reminder that we need to be careful about the development of artificial intelligence. We need to make sure that AI is used for good and not for evil.
Need for Ai regulation & restraint
Too many people hyped up on AI tools are freaking out of how amazing it is. But for the last 6 months it has scared the rats out of me of its future. The Matrix is a reminder that we need to be careful about the future of AI.
We need to think about the potential risks and benefits, and we need to develop AI in a responsible way.
Elon Musk shares my concerns and many other prominent technologists. It is important to strike a balance between the benefits and risks of AI.
Below I will catalogue the developments in line with these thoughts.
2025 AI Update
Since this article was first published in May 2023, the landscape of artificial intelligence and robotics has evolved at a breathtaking pace, moving from theoretical discussions to tangible, everyday applications.
We've witnessed the proliferation of generative AI in creative fields with tools like Adobe Firefly, the integration of AI "copilots" into our work environments, and significant strides in the development of humanoid robots like Tesla's Optimus and Figure AI's Figure 03.
These advancements, while promising, have also amplified the "Matrix" AI warnings discussed in this blog. Let's see 2 interviews recently published by The Diary of a CEO (DOAC).
The "Matrix" concerns are echoed by leading experts in the field. In a sobering interview, Dr. Roman Yampolskiy, a long-time AI safety researcher, predicted that by 2030, only a handful of jobs will remain for humans. He argues that the race to develop superintelligence is being driven by a desire for profit and power, with little regard for the potential consequences.
Dr. Yampolskiy warns of a future with unprecedented levels of unemployment and the immense challenge of controlling an intelligence far superior to our own. He posits that we are creating a new form of life without a clear understanding of how to ensure it remains aligned with human values. Let's see what the Godfather of AI thinks about the developments.
These sentiments are shared by none other than Geoffrey Hinton, the "Godfather of AI," who left his position at Google to speak freely about the dangers of the technology he helped create. In a recent interview, Hinton expressed his fears about the misuse of AI for cyberattacks, election manipulation, and the creation of autonomous weapons. He worries that the relentless competition between tech giants and nations is accelerating us toward a future we are not prepared for.
When asked what career he (Dr Geoffrey Hinton) would recommend to young people today, his stark response was to "train to be a plumber," highlighting his belief that manual, skilled trades may be the last bastion of human employment in an AI-dominated world.
Looking ahead, the trajectory of the next two years suggests an even greater acceleration. We project a critical convergence: the sophisticated reasoning of large language models will be more deeply integrated into the chassis of humanoid robots. This will move them from impressive lab demonstrations to early-stage, real-world deployment in controlled environments like warehouses, manufacturing plants, and potentially even elder care facilities.
Consequently, the abstract debate around job displacement will become a concrete reality for specific sectors, pushing discussions about Universal Basic Income (UBI) and government regulation from the fringes into the political mainstream. The developments of 2026 and 2027 will be pivotal; they will largely determine whether we are successfully navigating the path toward a human-centric AI future or taking definitive steps closer to the cautionary world The Matrix warned us about.
(written with help of assistive tools like Google Gemini & voice typing and googling)
Happy computing
Michael Plis
References
Heinz von Foerster https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinz_von_Foerster
Quotes from The Matrix movie https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/
The AI Safety Expert: These Are The Only 5 Jobs That Will Remain In 2030! - Dr. Roman Yampolskiy: https://youtu.be/UclrVWafRAI?si=Fy9qkB55PMoCYuH1
Godfather of AI: They Keep Silencing Me But I’m Trying to Warn Them!: https://youtu.be/giT0ytynSqg?si=IbHnrYUds80m5TmC
Universal Basic Income (UBI) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_basic_income
