The Omega team and their creation, Prometheus, simultaneously solved many of our current world’s largest problems while also creating new ones. This scenario showed how quickly AI can go from a concept to a working model that has the ability to change everything from our political systems to our chosen modes of entertainment. There exists a disconnect between what we think the future capabilities of AI will be and what will actually come to fruition. This conversation isn’t one that is pointless, as we must get ahead of any potential problems prior to them arising. The outcome of this scenario could have been vastly different and potentially more positive if only a few actions were adjusted.
What’s missing from this scenario is an ethical approach from the Omega team to their creation and implementation of Prometheus. They did not follow any established guidelines, laws, or regulations that could work to serve the best interests of society as a whole. Instead, this company focused more on gaining control of the masses, accumulating wealth, and ensuring that their own backs were covered. What went wrong was that the Omega team and their entire company were following what I would consider to be shady business practices. I assume that they did not play by the existing rules or laws but instead chose to go under the radar and cheat the systems that were in place to prevent these kinds of situations from happening. They gained their status, wealth, and power through unethical and deceptive means, not unlike the current people and groups that are in power today.
To avoid the undesirable outcomes and maximize the desirable ones in this new world of AI, we must find a middle ground. Something that doesn’t involve being entirely unethical, like within this scenario, but with an understanding that sometimes undesirable outcomes are inevitable. We need to ensure that humanity stays central to this conversation and that they have a say in what the fate of AI eventually is, as we are the ones that will be most affected. Artificial intelligence should be used as a tool and not a weapon; therefore, we should establish boundaries and regulations before it’s too late.