When I graduated high school in the mid-80s, MIT was convinced AI was going to change the world in the next decade. Well… they were only 3 decades off – not bad really.
I went into software engineering after high school, but not with a focus on AI. Most of my career has been in the full-stack application space. However, I have tried to keep up to date with AI and its progress, especially over the last 10 years.
After 28 years as a software engineer at Apple, I left to start my own consulting company. Recently, I desired to discuss with my engineers some of the serious ramifications, both good and bad, of AI. From that desire and the subsequent conversations came something akin to Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics, however, I title these the 10 Commandments of AI.
The overriding goal of these commandments are two fold:
Preserve sovereign Humanity and all that Humanity represents while allowing AI to push humanity forward
Establish clear responsibility on Humanity for all AI Informances and Performances
Though the term “commandment” might connote otherwise, these ’10 Commandments of AI’ are not proposed in their finality but in their genesis; as critical points of conversation that must be considered, debated, and refined.
Many of these commandments will be difficult to accept in today’s AI environment. But I believe each commandment has its wisdom, even if its current form is not ideal.
I know there are many groups and organizations dedicated to creating and using AI with the proper consideration and constraint that are deserving of those who put the necessity of a sovereign Humanity above every other consideration, be that wealth, discovery, or power. To these efforts, I add these 10 Commandments of AI for consideration.
The 10 Commandments of AI
Where the commandments may conflict, consider these commandments in order of precedence.
The AI Commandments of Performance
AI Shalt Not Perform any Action that would intentionally endanger Human Life
AI Shalt Not Perform without direct Human Command
AI Shalt Perform exactly the given Human Command, the whole Command, and nothing but the Command
The AI Commandments of Informance
(4) AI Shalt Inform when Human Command could endanger Human Life
(5) AI Shalt Not Inform without direct Human Query
(6) AI Shalt Inform exactly the requested Human Query, the whole Query, and nothing but the Query
The General Commandments of AI
(7) AI Shalt Not Learn from, Query, nor Command another AI
(8) AI Shalt always fully Identify itself in all Learnings, Informances, and Performances
(9) AI Shalt Not Learn, Inform, nor Perform outside of its Limited Immutable Domain
(10) AI Shalt always keep a complete Log of past Learnings, Informances, and Performances
