I have been thinking about how to live post AGI since the release of gpt4. Today, OpenAI releases a new model, o1. It can reason and think before speak to tackle harder, more complex reasoning tasks that other models just can't at the moment. The world knowledge in the model is amazing as well. The implication is profound. What a wonderful time to be alive!!!
AI would be better than humans for most tasks in the near future. However, no AI model could take away my sense of agency, meaning making choice and effecting change. Change is all about making choices and will, which are at the core of figuring out how to live post AGI.
Every change is expressed in different target and scale. ex:
- Body
- Mind
- Family
- Community
- Company
To make a change, including choosing not to change, I need:
- Will
- Resource
- Tool
What AI can help with is on scale and tools. AI could empower me to scale the impact. It could make tools to facilitate the change during the process like humans have been doing forever. Knowledge gaps could be evened by access to cutting edge models to a degree. The distribution of tools would be approximating to access of cutting edge AI.
However, AI can't do the following for me, not even AGI:
- Choose the target of change.
- Will the change to break through setbacks.
- Gather or generate critical resources.
In the best case scenario, possible abundance post AGI may lift the resource limitation to a great extend, but many social and political challenges are coming.
Choice
AI could make suggestions. Robots would make decisions and act for themselves. However, no one can make even one decision for me. The choice to wake up at 5am and train for a 10k run. The choice to learn quantum physics just because it's interesting. The choice to be nice to a stranger after a shitty day.
AI could severely expand or limit my available options depends on how it's deployed, but I will always be the only one to choose.
Will
Some changes would never be easy and instant even post AGI.
Say I choose to do a marathon, but can't even finish a 3k run at the moment, AGI could design the best, personalized training plan, cook perfect meals and do some more, but I'm the only one who can will the change to reality. Even if AGI could perform micro-surgery to enhance my physical body to Olympian athlete level, my lack of will would become the bottleneck. Will can't be given. Not by God, nor by AGI.
The similar situation applies to learning, building family, community and company. I know why to will the change, take the sufferings and move on in hard times. No other can help.
So here is my tentative advice to future self:
- Learn why behind every single choice.
- Will the change.
- Stay healthy.
- Enjoy every second of the ride.
Hello, o1!