AI and We in the Future in the Light of the Ouroboros Model: A Plea for Plurality

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to play an ever more important role in our lives and societies. Here, some boundary conditions and possibilities for shaping and using AI as well as advantageously embedding it in daily life are sketched. On the basis of a recently proposed cognitive architecture that claims to deliver a general layout for both natural intelligence and general AI, a coarse but broad perspective is developed and an emphasis is put on AI ethics. A number of findings, requirements, and recommendations are derived that can transparently be traced to the hypothesized structure and the procedural operation of efficient cognitive agents according to the Ouroboros Model. Including all of the available and possibly relevant information for any action and respecting a “negative imperative” are the most important resulting recommendations. Self-consistency, continual monitoring, equitable considerations, accountability, flexibility, and pragmatic adaptations are highlighted as foundations and, at the same time, mandatory consequences for timely answers to the most relevant questions concerning the embedding of AI in society and ethical rules for this.

A Challenge in A(G)I, Cybernetics Revived in the Ouroboros Model as One Algorithm for All Thinking

“…Some disquieting take-home message then is how easy it seems in fact already now to approximate a human level of proficiency in different specific behaviors, which recently were (and partly still are) considered human specialties. This will be widely felt as an affront to humans prompting all kinds of fears [28]. Serious competition in language skills and art seemingly hurts human egos much more than succumbing to machines in the games of chess or GO.…”

“…Any conclusion, simple percept or resulting from sophisticated considerations, gains much credibility when there are multiple and independent paths leading to that result; the higher their diversity and when starting from different venture points, the better. This is an argument for beginning with a big variety of views for any discussion, a plea for plurality is the natural conclusion [28].…”

“…It has been argued that as soon as self-steered and self-reflective growth is accessible for any agent, the predictability of her actions diminishes, and the actor thus also gains freedom in her deeds (and omissions) [28,37]. This applies to humans when they grow up and it will apply to rather similarly to artificial autonomous agents.…”

“…This applies to humans when they grow up and it will apply to rather similarly to artificial autonomous agents. As with humans, the hope is that with careful responsible "upbringing" and education any agent capable of self-reflection, self-consciousness and some autonomy can be successfully directed to strive prudently for mutual and common benefit [28,37].…”