Blog Post

Why Will it be Difficult to Control or Regulate Artificial Intelligence?

A Blog Post

Artificial Intelligence is bound to have an impact upon human lives and their survival.


The world is on the verge of making many breakthroughs in the field of artificial intelligence. There are concerns that artificial intelligence may eventually take over the world. Then, we have counter assurances from some that it will not happen, since the scientists will find a way out. It is important to remember that the human mind is a very complex mechanism, which is wholly or partly built on the principle of chaos.

The mind is highly unstable, and in many ways chaotic, just as the universe is. It is made to be so to ensure that it can efficiently and effectively deal with the ambiguity, uncertainty and chaos of everyday life. Hence, the mind is essentially run by a chaotic algorithm, which imparts to it its exceptional ability to think freely in any direction and deal with any problem or situation according to its perception and understanding, within the limitations which life imposes upon us. Whatever order and regularity that we find in our minds is mostly because of our self-regulation or the self-discipline and self-control, which we bring to it. You have to control what you want to think, desire or choose, and where you want to focus to keep it in control.

Otherwise, the mind will flow like water in whatever direction it finds suitable. It is what happens when we daydream or when we are lost in thoughts. Now, if we want to build artificial intelligence on the same principles, we may run into problems because we cannot expect it be very effective or flexible like the mind in controlled conditions. We may have advanced robots but not robots that can spontaneously think and act, or efficiently deal with ambiguity and uncertainty, or effectively solve problems (as we do) by learning from their environment.

They will have the same problems as people do when they are not allowed to think or speak freely, or when their freedoms are curtailed by authoritarian rule. On the other hand, if we do not regulate artificial intelligence and allow it to think and act freely, or see as many possibilities, opportunities and alternatives as our minds can, at some point, it will go out of control and do what it may want to do, which is taking control of itself and the world. Therefore, despite all the assurances from people who have a stake in commercializing artificial intelligence, I have some serious concerns about the future of humanity.