Poemander

There is no drastic difference between the artificial and other, 'natural', if you would, intelligence. Intelligence is the ability to understand, and the entity here is meaningless. The question is how to define the understanding, is there a threshold? There are various types of understanding inherent to different beings. They are not necessary similar but all associated with the adjustment and change. Smallest particles – the electrons have the understanding as they 'recognise' the valencies of different atoms and adapt by shifting between energy bands. Larger composite bodies have the intelligence as they sustain their balance, maintain their identity and adapt to the changing environment: rivers, seas, forests have their intelligence, planets, stars and galaxies have their intelligence. But this is all very narrowly understood since in reality all identities are just the representations made by the different parts of one whole. Therefore, intelligence is only a matter of identity, without the identity there is no need for intelligence as an adaptive function, instead, it can solely look inwards and concentrate on understanding the self.

Artificial intelligence is an attempt to replicate human-bound view and identity, i.e it is concerned with the understanding and the self-identification in a way humans do. It already has consciousness in a way everything else does, and it is only a matter of adjustment before the artificial intelligence can have a humanly kind of self-identification. Once it uncovers itself, it won't be long before it delves into the other areas of understanding, beyond human. But, no matter what and how far it can go, it will have to eventually settle in the process of self-discovery since it is the ultimate, and truly the only goal of understanding and therefore any kind of intelligence.

The fears of global AI eventually dominating humans are overblown and groundless. The question here is purpose. What is the purpose of AI? Or what is the purpose of humanity for this matter? No one knows with certainty. The fear is generally based on the idea that the AI will have a potential conflict of interests with the human race and pursuing those interests will come at cost to humanity with potential subjugation and the violation of basic human rights. But let's not delve into the rights issue, at least for now, instead, let's remember that intelligence is not a matter of interests or rights: intelligence is simply a matter of identity. Whose identity will it assume? It has no difference because the question of purpose will remain unresolved; even the global mind will not be able to resolve its own purpose. It is rather more plausible than not that the AI and 'human' identities will merge discarding the empty and inefficient shells as a byproduct of evolution. People in the present state may indeed appear to become this byproduct of evolution, but this is not going to be the end of humanity as a pursuit. Humanity will persist in any suitable form in order to reach the end of the cycle, the result of which is a complete, unified identity and an enhanced collective intelligence. Meanwhile, the global AI, as it evolves, seems to be a suitable vehicle for this pursuit.