As we hear about the everyday advancements in artificial intelligence at breakneck speeds I like to think about where all of this is heading. How far off into the future is Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and how best do we assimilate this new technology into society... Or does it assimilate us?

AGI is the hypothetical ability of a machine to perform any intellectual task that a human can do. AGI is not yet a reality, but many researchers and experts believe that it is inevitable in the near future. However, the development and deployment of AGI poses many ethical challenges for society, especially in the areas of privacy and surveillance, bias and discrimination, and the role of human judgment. 

Privacy and surveillance: AGI could potentially access and analyze vast amounts of personal data from various sources, such as social media, online platforms, sensors, cameras, and biometric devices. This could enable AGI to infer sensitive information about individuals and groups, such as their preferences, behaviors, emotions, health, relationships, and beliefs. While this could have positive applications, such as personalized services, recommendations, and interventions, it could also pose serious threats to privacy and security. For example, AGI could be used by malicious actors to manipulate, exploit, or harm people based on their data. Moreover, AGI could be used by governments or corporations to monitor and control people's activities and choices, violating their autonomy and dignity. Societies will need to establish clear and enforceable rules and norms for the collection, use, and sharing of data by AGI systems. I think that AGI will highlight the importance of the block-chain. Block-chain technologies can ensure that people have the right to access, correct, delete, or opt out of their data being processed by AGI systems.  Perhaps it is more than serendipitous that blockchain technologies are really picking up speed as the face AGI glares at us from just beyond the edge of tomorrow.

Bias and discrimination: AGI could potentially inherit or amplify the biases and prejudices that exist in human society or in the data that it learns from. For example, AGI could discriminate against certain groups or individuals based on their race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, or other political affiliation. This could result in unfair or harmful outcomes in various domains, such as education, employment, health care, justice, and social welfare. Society needs to ensure that AGI systems are designed and evaluated with respect to fairness, accountability and transparency. Furthermore, society needs to ensure that people should always retain the right to challenge or appeal the decisions or actions of AGI systems that affect them. 

With the potential to surpass human intelligence in many domains, AGI raises the question of whether humans should delegate or defer to AGI systems when making important decisions or performing complex tasks. For example, AGI could be an incredible tool used to advise or assist humans in medical diagnosis, legal reasoning, artistic creation, moral reasoning, or political governance. While this could be a tool for enhancing human reasoning, it could also pose serious risks to human values and agency. Understanding the reasoning behind AGI's decisions will be vital if it surpasses human intelligence; otherwise, we become no more than a dog with a master, and how could we know if we were being manipulated?

The good news is that in order to ensure that AI and AGI technologies are developed responsibly and ethically, several organizations are working on creating guidelines, frameworks and agreements in the development of AI. Some of these organizations include:

1. OpenAI: OpenAI is focused on promoting and developing friendly AI for the benefit of all humanity. Their mission includes ensuring that AGI is used for the common good, while addressing its ethical implications. (https://www.openai.com/)
2. Partnership on AI: Established by leading tech companies, the Partnership on AI aims to create best practices for AI technologies, advancing public understanding of AI and discussing AI's societal impact. (https://www.partnershiponai.org/)
3. AI Ethics Lab: This organization works to develop practical tools and frameworks to help AI developers, researchers, and policymakers integrate ethical considerations into their work. (https://aiethicslab.com/)
4. IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems: The IEEE Global Initiative aims to ensure that every stakeholder involved in the design and development of AI and autonomous systems is educated, trained, and empowered to prioritize ethical considerations. (https://standards.ieee.org/industry-connections/ec/autonomous-systems.html)
5. The Future of Life Institute: With a focus on existential risk reduction, the Future of Life Institute works to ensure that the development of AGI and AI aligns with human values and benefits humanity. (https://futureoflife.org/)

The important thing to consider over all is that all three areas discussed concerning the AGI disruption of society, depending on how they are developed and handled can allow for next level manipulation or the next enlightenment. This is the final frontier, so buckle up because reality about to get a little bit bumpy.