Picture your average farm. It has cows, chickens, horses, donkeys, and all the other farm animals. The farmer, skilled with his animals, controls every aspect of their lives. He decides when they eat, where they sleep, and when they die. The animals would probably prefer a little more room, the ability to eat when they want, and a say in their own deaths. Why do the animals put up with this?
Is it because he is bigger? He is certainly bigger than the chickens. No. Being bigger cannot be the reason, because the farmer also controls the cow, which weighs 1,000 pounds. Perhaps it’s because the farmer is faster. No, that can’t be right either because the horse is three times as fast as the farmer. Then, maybe it’s because the farmer is stronger than the animals. But no, the donkey can pull a plow far heavier and far longer than the farmer ever could. It’s not size, speed, or strength that allows the farmer to dictate every facet of the animals’ lives. So, what gives?
The answer is obvious: the farmer is more intelligent than the animals. Size doesn’t matter. Speed doesn’t matter. Strength doesn’t matter. It's intelligence that matters.
Intelligence is amazing. Intelligence is powerful. Intelligence is in control. Why would you think the farmer is any less susceptible than the animals?
Entities that possess greater intelligence will control the farmer just as the farmer controls his animals. This is already happening on a small scale. Advertising campaigns influence what you buy, dating apps influence who you date, and memetic snippets influence what you think. And yet, no one would argue that they’re not in control of their own thoughts and actions. But that all could change very, very soon.
Modern AIs are rapidly approaching the level of intelligence needed to turn the farmer into the farm animal.
Imagine targeted advertising perfectly trained on you personally. It predicts exactly why and when you would want to buy something. With an accuracy based on your entire purchase history, your current possessions, and your desires.
Imagine dating apps perfectly tailored to your tastes, showing only matches that are guaranteed to engage you. Finding your "soulmate" would be trivial.
Imagine an AI trained on every facet of your life. Every keystroke, mouse movement, scroll, and swipe you make would be taken into account. It could orchestrate your actions as easily as parental controls on a child’s iPad. Could you convince that same child that flying reindeer pull a guy in a sled around the globe delivering presents? Of course you could.
It is the intelligence of the system that is ultimately in control. The parent to the child, the farmer to the animals, and the AI to the human.
Let the wireheading begin. The reality of being in control of your thoughts and actions will be put to the test. Feedback loops will shape your every being. Nudge. Steer. Push. Iterate.