I have often talked about the development of AI and the rapid exponential progress that we are witnessing and the impact that might have on human life in the future. Nobody knows for sure how this will all play out.

Predictions range from highly pessimistic to highly optimistic and I think that like with most other things, the reality will fall somewhere in the middle. Meaning, there will be plenty of benefits we'll enjoy but there will also be risks that would haunt us and it will ultimately depend on the decisions we take from here on.

The reason why this topic is so significant is because, unlike our other inventions, this particular one has the potential to replace its very inventors. We are literally creating an intelligence that has the potential to become far more intelligent and superior to us and so diminish our role in the way the world works.

The most prominent and far reaching example would be that of governments being replaced by AI. This idea is not a pessimistic one where AI forcefully takes over control, but one where we humans decide for ourselves that AI would be far better at governing than people.

The Artificially Intelligent Government

You might have read about this idea in some sci-fi novels. The basic idea is that some day, AI gets so intelligent and excellent at decision making, that we humans replace the governments of the world with AI and it starts doing everything that a government does, but far more efficiently, at a fraction of the cost and without corruption.

Fundamentally, that would be a good thing in my opinion. We all know the insane number of things that is wrong with governments of the world today and to have an AI whose only objective would be the proper governing and progress of the people, would be such a welcome change.

But on the flip side, we would in essence be under its control. Yes, it would be kind of voluntary (for the greater good) but it would be control nonetheless. In that case, I wonder how many people would be comfortable and wouldn't give two thoughts about it and how many would constantly feel fearful or agitated by a fact that they were ruled by a software.

I also wonder what such a country would be called. Will it make the concept of democracy obsolete as there would be no leaders to choose? Also, there would most likely be a team of humans to constantly monitor and maintain the functionality of the AI system. Does it make them the ones in actual control?

And then there is always the risk of someone corrupting the AI or it realising itself, that we humans are the enemy and need to be wiped off. Being a government would make its task a lot easier in that case! Anyways, what do you feel about the whole concept?