By Mary Goetsch,
Aurora, Ill.
Tech industry leaders issued a one-sentence statement May 20 on artificial intelligence (AI) bringing a future risk of human extinction: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.”
It is good news the technology industry recognizes its downside; hopefully the industry will police itself. Because the top five companies comprise approximately 25% of the market, there is no risk of one company taking control.
What about plastic pollution? What about AI risk statement? Inger Anderson, director of United Nations environment, stated on PBS News May 27 that we consume or use the equivalent of one plastic bank card per week per person! She may have meant waste; if she meant we ingest that much plastic, I would guess that might explain the rising incidence of autism!
Whether the pollution is disposable beverage bottles, diaper and feminine hygiene plastic, medical waste, including disposable gowns and gear, or silicon and hard plastic, from electronics and discarded appliances, this is adding up to our planet, “being really quite sick,” according to The Earth Commission in June 1 headlines.
Their report found seven out of eight ecosystem parameters exceed established safety zones. Only air pollutions was not in the danger zone! Wildfires do create natural air pollutions and we saw it in the last week with a weather report of, “cloudy-appearing, but these aren’t rain clouds….”
On the Earth ecosystem report, the main issue is fresh-water safety. Two-thirds of Earth does not meet safety standards. Ultimately, our sick planet is a justice issue because environment affects neighboring lands and peoples.
Your probable are wondering what are the risks of I, which to be technical can be termed trans humanism, has to do with an unhealthy planet. All lead to extinction of species, eventually. Now, we humans have some control and have shown our civilization history with ethics and justice system in place. Ethics is the inborn sense of altruism which theologians and naturalists alike have described as the moral law.
My sense of fairness leads me to worry about how Nation is handling the out-of-control immigration crisis. On the news, I heard that migrants must have Smart phones and try to hone or send a text to make an appointment prior to arrival. Of course, they cannot get through. My thought was feeling their anguish over the Internet preventing their access; I have been there and experienced that, probably just as have most senior citizens. My concern is, and the reasons for this commentary, is why can’t they be transparent; we are in a democracy and end the practice of using computer algorithms to do their dirty work.
In the old days, physical presence at Ellis Island could be monitored. But with computers, who is doing the necessary oversight? I totally get it that there are too many migrants and there is not room for them in this country. That pretty much sums it up for the planet: No longer enough livable are remaining, especially, if war-torn and autocratic nations are discounted.