We are on the wrong track with the way AI is going

We are on the wrong track with the way AI is going, and here’s why: Both the known risks and the unknown risks are not worth it given the plausible outcomes. Both the known and unknown risks are too severe, and the plausible payoff is not worth it at all. Let me explain. The current, dominant type of AI is generative AI, more specifically LLMs, that are, basically, a brute-force effort. People with a much deeper understanding than me describe this approach as inelegant, inefficient, power-hungry and wasteful. That is the type of AI I’m talking about — this is important: I’m not anti-AI generally, I’m quite open to AI. What I’m not open to is shaping the world’s economy, and really the world, around generative AI. I) The known risks of AI as it is being built right now, and more importantly the risks of the infrastructure being built for AI right now, are well established by now: Immense energy and water needs at a scale that can destabilize whole communities and ecosystems.That draw…