Three related links, and the risk they point to.
In the scenario I mentioned before, where humans become part of a stable but competitive ecosystem populated by intelligences of various kinds, one thing we humans must do is become fit competitors ourselves. And when the competition is in the realm of intelligence, that means preserving and advancing our own intelligence by holding at arms length seductive augmentations in order to avoid suffering the amputations that are their price.
But now, when my brain spontaneously forms a tiny sliver of a potentially interesting concept or idea, I can just shove a few sloppy words into a prompt and almost instantly get a fully reasoned, researched, and completed thought. Minimal organic thinking required. This has had a dramatic and profound effect on my brain. My thinking systems have atrophied, and I can feel it–I can sense my slightly diminishing intuition, cleverness, and rigor. And because AI can so easily flesh out ideas, I feel less inclined to share my thoughts–no matter how developed.
But we should also consider a warning from Herbert, the central commandment he chose to enshrine at the heart of future humanity’s key religious text, a rule meant to keep us from becoming subservient to the products of our reason, and from bowing down before the God of Logic and his many fearsome offspring:
Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind.
Just like an abundance of food, conveniences, entertainment, etc. all brought their own challenges (poor nutrition, inactivity, chronic distraction), an abundance of intelligence may ironically degrade our own human intelligence. Information consumption and intellectual development are not the same thing.
You might already look after your physical health, mental health, financial health… add intellectual health to that list. I’ve been very intentionally making sure I read a book a month in a possibly vain attempt to keep that part of my brain capable and fit.
I’m generally optimistic about the future, but even assuming AI works out well (whatever that means) we should get ready to be disciplined about the insidious side effects. Now, can I publish this without asking Claude for feedback?
Every augmentation is an adaptation.