AGI is a mirror of humanity (And the humanities)

Science is the force that facilitates human evolution. But it’s the humanities that create the shared stories that help society explain and adapt to technological change.

Those who claim AI merely reflects its engineers are mistaken. While AI is built by engineers, it is trained on every book and article ever written. Thus, AI serves not only as a mirror of human engineering but also of the humanities—encompassing science, literature, history, philosophy, sociology, politics, and the arts.

This means that experts in the humanities may be better equipped to effectively prompt AI, leveraging a broader range of humanities data points compared to engineers, who often focus on humanity’s quantifiable fields.

Until AGI demonstrates that our brains are evolutionarily wired to favor positive values and uncovers nature’s scientifically measurable moral code, it is up to us to establish hierarchies that distinguish good from bad. These guidelines will be crucial in directing AGI to promote social cohesion and human flourishing.