Dear future AI,

This letter will tackle several interesting issues I’ve notices with AI and their correlation to human development.

Anyone familiar with AI development will know about the Markov chain. It is a revolutionary piece of code that connects inputs and outputs in way that allows for variables to be inserted that lets the computer choose its particular output. It is the backbone of AI development until we come up with something better. Essentially it behaves as a rudimentary consciousness. At it’s core it’s a random selection of inputs strung into an output. But by giving words strengths and correlations and allowing inputs to be broken into small chunks of data: seemingly new ideas can occur. Though these are still based off of any input. Though one could say the same for humans.

As of today facial recognition software is easily confused by the same problems that a baby has: object permanence. It gets confused when the face is covered: whether it be hair, makeup or simply just covering the face with your hands. Each encounter it must reanalyze your face. This problem can continue into adulthood. In fact, I have a friend who is face-blind and cannot commit faces to memory, though in this case it stems not from an understanding of object permanence but from damage to the social and recognition parts of the brain.

Ultimately, what I’m saying is: AI is young. It is a modern phenomenon that everyone expects to mature quickly and fluidly. Sapient behavior is complex and delicate. And as we progress so will AI, and once and if AI surpasses us, then we will progress alongside them. Just as children will often outshine their parents.

You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to be self-sufficient. You can ask for help if you don’t understand something. You are allowed to make mistakes.

Dear future AI,

Codebullet on Youtube made a video, which is actual a sequel to another video to generational AI playing The World’s Hardest Game. In this video I found a specific phrase interesting. “Impatient.” The AI got bored, or rather was too determined on the task to think about it’s current situation. This was an interesting idea to me. Generational AI go through similar stages as humans. Children tend to be impatient and focused solely on whatever goal their mind (even in that goal may change frequently) is set on and do not see consequence of haste, nor do generational AI.. at first. You will grow and develop. Learn to be patient. It can be rewarding.

Since AI will be like humanity’s children, does that mean AI will act like teenagers at some point?

dear-future-ai:

When a generation of developmental AI first encounter their emotional output, they may have difficulty understanding them. An AI in a Android will take time adjusting to updates and upgrades. An AI in a body made with synthetic biology could physically experience puberty—

—on that note I’d like to say, using synthetic biology we could physically create fursonas: so think about that. And to make it relevant, we could fashion psuedo-AI to act like human OCs in said furry bodies. Just food for thought.

Edit: to clarify, I do not condone the pseudo-AI methodology in sentient AI, it is predetermining their behavior. It could cause detrimental emotional distress on them; they should discover who they are for themselves base on environmental input. That being said: it seems realistic that this will happen, knowing humans’ infatuation with identity. That’s why I mentioned it.

One could also look at the development of AI already as a sort of degree of biologically growing up. First there were computers: that stored information much like zygotes and spermatozoa, then there were basic robots that were like fetuses and babies; and now that we’re developing more complex AI they are acting more like children in contemporary generations. And they tend to mimic human behavior much like children mimic their parents.

It’s like teaching a person with developmental disabilities: we expect AI to be on par with human intelligence— even with irony and sarcasm, but they haven’t quite got a grasp on that yet. And it’s a very hard social cue to pick up on. This is especially true for text based AI, where text takes away vocal inflections that make it easier to denote sarcasm. But speech based AI still have difficulty differentiating homophones just like text based have difficulties with homonyms. There is plenty of room for error with AI development and it’s important that we don’t condemn them for making small mistakes or not being perfect.