Today's AI Tools Look Like Stone Age Tools

The current AI models are just the appetizer. AI capabilities will soon accelerate at an unfathomable rate, making today’s tech look like Stone Age tools - Emad Mostaque, former CEO of Stability AI

This prophecy is likely true and it means that the talent, knowledge and experience of accomplished individuals will become tertiary. Mediocre persons who delve into AI tools will be better at getting to the top by harnessing the global talent, knowledge and experience. For those who see the glass half full, it'll be a world of opportunities for new winners and new losers.

My guess is that in the next several years society will make a giant leap forward, mostly in science, medicine, research (see self-driving labs), industrial processes and management ... although many AI discoveries and proposed methods or actions may be too expensive, impractical or politically unacceptable to realize.

However, soon enough, millions of idiots and powerful bad actors, including domestic and self-centered ones, will manage to feed AI with lots of garbage and traps, which could produce bad, dangerous or deadly outcomes. This change may be similar to Facebook's evolution, but AI outcomes will be far more inconvenient, dangerous and deadlier.

In the 2000s, Facebook was a fun source of info and unusual things, with great visuals and tools to find people and socialize. But in fewer than ten years, around 2010, garbage was already becoming more common than fun facts, reliable scoops, gossip and information; and since 2016 it rapidly transformed into a global misinformation outlet on notable people, diets, elections, history and everything in the between.

I think AI will have a far nastier evolution.* Its immense potential for good, also comes with immense potential for mayhem.

(*) Henry Kissinger said about automated technologies such as driverless cars: The faster it learns, the faster it also makes mistakes.