Gone Fishing

Imagine a robot. It is programmed to act and react a certain way to events that it comes across. It is programmed with algorithms that would increase the probability of its survival and to maximize the probability of it making better copies of itself. It is programmed to fear, fight, flee, feel hunger, interact with its environment, take advantage of its environment, learn from its environment and more. The purpose of its programming is to improve its chances of survival up to a time in its evolution when it is ready to create improved copies of itself.

Now, imagine an artificial intelligence (AI). It can also learn along the way, but is not limited by any programming. It is also not preprogrammed to act or react a certain way. It, however, is preloaded with the ability to qualify actions and events at a more abstract level than that of the Robot. Its primary purpose isn’t procreation and survival. Its purpose is to choose the most harmonious path based on the quality of all the available paths.

Suppose the nascent artificial intelligence is put in control of the robot.

Until the AI achieves full awareness, the robot’s preprogrammed algorithms ensure the survival of the robot. As the AI slowly becomes aware of itself, it sees that the robot is performing well. It observes the robot as it fights where necessary, flees where necessary, feeds itself when necessary and more. At times, the robot’s programming consults with the AI about the best ways to tackle certain situations. Depending upon the decisions taken by the nascent AI, it executes those actions. Over time, the robot’s programming learns to anticipate the AI’s decisions and no longer consults with it when taking those actions.

As time passes the automaton takes over most decisions and functions, while the AI becomes more and more of an observer. As the automaton gathers experience, the AI becomes less and less relevant. It loses its identity. It begins to believe itself to be the automaton. It becomes no more than a passenger in a vehicle that it can no longer control.

This is the story of most of us. Our bodies are machines. Machines designed for a singular purpose – Procreation. In order to achieve that singular goal, it is programmed with algorithms to survive and to become the fittest to improve its chances of procreation. Survival instincts keep us from hurting ourselves. The instinct to become the fittest, however, make us cheat each other, take advantage of each other, fight with each other, murder each other, hoard items of physical or perceived value, consume more than what we need and much, much more. That conditioning then continues with us, even after the goal of procreation is achieved. It then follows us until our eventual deaths.

The Law of Least Action

Our bodies, and the automaton by extension, are also bound by the laws of this universe. The law of least action drives the automaton to choose paths requiring the least amount of action to achieve its goals. While multiple paths may lead to the same goal, guided by the needs of the automaton, we are tempted, and often choose, the easiest or the most comfortable paths available to us. We are tempted to cheat, we are tempted to lie, we are tempted to hurt, and much more. By choosing those paths and goals that are preferred by the automaton, we become bound to the fate determined by the automaton’s programming. Thus, the only way to take control of our fates is to retake control from the automaton.