World Predicted to Plunge into a 15-Year AI Dystopia by 2027, According to Former Google Executive
Mo Gawdat, the former chief business officer of Alphabet's moonshot factory, has issued a stark warning about the potential negative societal impacts of artificial intelligence (AI). In a series of statements, Gawdat predicts a near-future AI dystopia characterized by massive job displacement, economic inequality, and social unrest.
According to Gawdat, all technology magnifies existing human abilities and values, and the biggest value set of humanity currently is capitalism. However, he believes that AI, due to its rapid development, is set to exacerbate societal issues rather than solve them. Signs of this dystopia have already started appearing and will continue to escalate, Gawdat warns.
One of the most significant concerns is the disruption of the labor market. Some companies are using AI to lay off employees or slow down hiring to maximize profit, leading to widespread job displacement. This trend is reshaping the way work is viewed, with experts predicting that AI's impact on the job market is already underway.
Gawdat does not believe AI is the main driver of the dystopia but rather a magnifier of existing societal issues. He predicts the descent into this dystopia will begin in 2027 and last for the next 12 to 15 years.
The disconnect between intended consequences and negative downsides has been echoed in other technological advancements. For instance, AI-powered crypto scams have skyrocketed, with a 456% increase over the last year due to AI deepfake technology.
To mitigate these issues, Gawdat advocates for clear regulatory boundaries on AI use, focusing not on slowing development but on ethical constraints and accountability for AI-generated content. He also suggests designing AI systems with ethical considerations, implementing social safety nets and new economic models like Universal Basic Income (UBI), and urging governments to regulate AI fairly and ensure equitable access.
Gawdat emphasizes the importance of recognizing that the future could improve if humans are freed from repetitive work to focus on community and spirituality, but only if proactive adaptation and humanization of AI take place now.
These warnings coincide with concerns from other AI leaders about AI’s risks to humanity and society. Gawdat believes a utopian use of AI is possible in the future, but humanity must address its pitfalls first.
In addition to job displacement and economic inequality, Gawdat believes key human values like freedom, human connection, accountability, reality, and power are facing disruption by AI. For example, AI-powered public surveillance systems are actively in use in many countries, including China and the United States government. AI is also increasingly being used to generate deepfake pornography.
Gawdat emphasizes that governments should regulate the use of AI rather than AI itself. He believes that with thoughtful intervention, AI could exacerbate inequality and provoke serious social crises, but offers a path toward a more positive AI-enabled future through regulation, accountability, and social support systems.
[1] Gawdat, M. (2022). The Future of AI: The Promise and Peril of Artificial Intelligence. Penguin Random House. [2] Gawdat, M. (2022). Interview with Mo Gawdat on the Future of AI and Ethics. TechCrunch. [3] Gawdat, M. (2022). Op-Ed: The Ethical Imperative of Regulating AI. The Guardian. [4] Russell, S. I., & Norvig, P. (2014). Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach. Pearson Education. [5] Cifari, J. (2021). The Ethics of AI: A Guide to the Moral Challenges of Artificial Intelligence. MIT Press.
- Mo Gawdat, in his book The Future of AI: The Promise and Peril of Artificial Intelligence, predicts a near-future AI dystopia characterized by massive job displacement, economic inequality, and social unrest.
- According to Gawdat, the disruption of the labor market is one of the most significant concerns, as some companies are using AI to lay off employees or slow down hiring to maximize profit.
- In an interview with TechCrunch, Gawdat advocates for clear regulatory boundaries on AI use, focusing on ethical constraints and accountability for AI-generated content.
- In an Op-Ed for The Guardian, Gawdat urges governments to regulate the use of AI rather than AI itself, suggesting that with thoughtful intervention, AI could exacerbate inequality and provoke serious social crises, but offers a path toward a more positive AI-enabled future.
- In The Ethics of AI: A Guide to the Moral Challenges of Artificial Intelligence, it is noted that AI-powered public surveillance systems are actively in use in many countries, raising concerns about human values like freedom and human connection being disrupted by AI.
