Documentary: AlphaGo made me weep for humanity

Question

Just fyi post.When you get a chance, you all should catch the free documentary on youtube:AlphaGo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXuK6gekU1YThere is a point in the show when you start to really really feel for humanity. AI is kool but I never fathom the emotional and mental toll felt at the highest level of human intellect when AI was used against it.I weeped several times... it was unexpected.I fear for the future.[UPDATE] Many insightfulness here. I just came off reading too much of Jung's work. ;-) And as one commenter stated; I'm just rambling :) No worries. Just wanted you all to know of a well done documentary. Stay safe!!

Jugurtha · Accepted Answer

Have you seen the surprise when it made original moves people did not expect arguing that humans would not normally make these moves, and the delight they have shown witnessing these moves? Have you noticed that the very challenge elevated Lee Sedol's game who found a strange adversary and was pushed into uncharted territory leading him to make a strange move himself that threw off AlphaGo and lead Lee Sedol to win the game?
I think that, on the contrary, finding new challengers with different styles pushes us to explore further, expand our envelope, and grow.
Imagine AlphaGo's impact on people who may not have playing partners. People could be able to enjoy the game whenever they want to and improve and come up with original moves when stressed, just as Lee Sedol came up with a move when stressed.
Clinging onto comfort zones seldom leads to progress or growth.

st1x7 · Answer

I don't want to be dismissive of the way you feel. I just want to point out that you have nothing to worry about. Now that AlphaGo exists humanity is exactly where it was before it existed. AlphaGo isn't intelligent like you and I are intelligent. It's just a program that's good at calculating the results of a very specific computational task. It's like crying because a hand mixer can beat eggs faster than any human can beat them by hand - there are many tasks that humans aren't the best at and there's nothing concerning about that.Calculators have existed for a long time and they crush humans at doing arithmetic. I wouldn't cry if I watched a documentray where a calculator beats the best human at 5-digit-number multiplication. AlphaGo is like a big expensive calculator that's specialised to doing the calculation of how to play Go.

WheelsAtLarge · Answer

I too feel bad for the future but my take is a bit different. AI as we know it is a tool. It does not have a way to think for itself. It can simulate and improve many specialized tasks. So, it does not have a way to scape and take over the world on its own.My fear is that ALL new tech is eventually turned in to a weapon that we as humans use to dominate other humans. AI is used and will be used as a weapon and that scares me for the future.

boltzmannbrain · Answer

Take a deep breath, temper your expectations.If you're going to fear for the future, there are far grander, realistic, and imminent risks to be concerned with.

guardiangod · Answer

Do you cry whenever you encounter someone smarter than you?