‽istis ponders values across
generations and wonders whether wisdom can be artificial‽ (weekending June 10th 2023)
Two threads
have been weaving around for ‽istis this
past week:
·
Generation matters: the ‘BCW
Movatory’ – ‘Age of Values Report’ is published[i] with its
motivation set out transparently: ‘If we speak to people’s values, we can move
them, whether that be to purchase, to advocate, to embark on a treatment pathway,
or to vote.’[ii] Apparently members of ‘Generation Z’, born
between 1997 and 2012 and the largest generation in the world, ‘are evidently
clear-eyed in their desire for power, achievement, hedonism and stimulation’[iii]
·
Artificial Intelligence: suddenly ‘AI’
is all over the news with voices of alarm sounding (for perhaps yet again, the
end of the world is nigh)[iv], calls
for regulation (another attempt to carry on ruling, controlling or beating the
world by the UK?)[v],
a new headset launched with which to see and hear and experience – blending virtual
and reality for a life augmented[vi], at
quite a cost.
And this is
what ‽istis has mainly wondered:
·
is
intelligence the same as wisdom? can ‘Artificial Intelligence’ be artificially ‘wise’?
should/could/might we be seeking to develop ‘AW’ (Artificial Wisdom) programmes
and applications and are we smart enough to know the difference?
·
if
there are discernible shared values that can be said to be embraced and
articulated in word and deed by large swathes of people who happen to be born
within a defined set of years - then what could be the values that might right
now be built-in, driving and guiding both the development of 'AI’ and also its application
and operation? Whose values and what are they?
Are these legitimate questions to ask? Does it even work like that? ‽istis may be doing little more than demonstrating
an incomplete grasp of the issues involved – which may be part of the problem
if ‽istis is representative of most of
us…
And then,
furthermore, what values might be built-in, driving and guiding any regulation (located
in the UK, or elsewhere) that seems likely to follow in the wake of
technological progression?
If ‘AI’
programmes can draw on information and knowledge from a vast mass of sources
(all digitised knowledge?) and can synthesise and come up with solutions to
many of our most pressing problems, then whose interests might those solutions
serve?
If AI/AW
recommended solutions to some of the day’s political and social challenges are ones that are considered best for humanity as a whole (in some sort of Benthamite
utilitarian-type calculation of the greatest good for the greatest number[vii]) then
who might win out and who might lose? How will the richest 50 families in the
UK who, we learned this week, hold ‘more wealth than half of the UK population,
comprising 33.5 million people’[viii] fare,
for example? …even if they are well-represented on any AI regulatory board (as
owners of the means of production and owners of the means of provision are
perhaps likely to be?)
What if AI/AW recommended solutions to some of the day’s political and social challenges
followed a value position such as: ‘from each according to their ability, to
each according to their need’[ix]
What if AI/AW recommended solutions to some of the day’s political and social challenges
(emerging from almost unimaginable calculatory and synthesising capacity) were to enact the ‘Golden Rule’ as a foundation for behaviour?
Will the development
of ‘AI’, its application and operation, and its potential regulation be driven
by ‘Visionaries’, ‘Protectors’, ‘Traditionalists’, ‘Success Seekers’,
‘Adventurers’, ‘Good Neighbours’ or ‘Conformists’? Which of these seven proposed
‘values archetypes’, singly or in some combination, might develop, operate,
apply and control an ‘AI’ future?[x]
…All
for much greater ponderance and wondering and from minds more informed, intelligent
and wise than ‽istis'…
But, reading
the ‘Age of Values Report’ this week, has prompted ‽istis to look at Shalom Schwartz’s ‘Theory of Basic
Human Values’[xi] - the ideas that provided the overarching conceptual framework for the
generational values’ study and report.
Scwartz’s
theory/model/approach/research tool… ‘specifies
a set of ten value orientations that are probably comprehensive of the major
different orientations that are recognized across cultures.’ (see paper on ref
xi)
·
POWER:
Social status and prestige, control or dominance over people and resources.
(social power, authority, wealth, preserving my public image)
·
ACHIEVEMENT:
Personal success through demonstrating competence according to social
standards. (successful, capable, ambitious, influential)
·
HEDONISM:
Pleasure and sensuous gratification for oneself. (pleasure, enjoying life,
self-indulgence)
·
STIMULATION:
Excitement, novelty, and challenge in life. (daring, a varied life, an exciting
life)
·
SELF-DIRECTION:
Independent thought and action-choosing, creating, exploring. (creativity,
freedom, independent, curious, choosing own goals)
·
UNIVERSALISM:
Understanding, appreciation, tolerance and protection for the welfare of all
people and for nature. (broadminded, wisdom, social justice, equality, a world
at peace, a world of beauty, unity with nature, protecting the environment)
·
BENEVOLENCE:
Preservation and enhancement of the welfare of people with whom one is in
frequent personal contact. (helpful, honest, forgiving, loyal, responsible)
·
TRADITION:
Respect, commitment and acceptance of the customs and ideas that traditional
culture or religion provide the self. (humble, accepting my portion in life,
devout, respect for tradition, moderate)
·
CONFORMITY:
Restraint of actions, inclinations, and impulses likely to upset or harm others
and violate social expectations or norms. (politeness, obedient,
self-discipline, honoring parents and elders)
·
SECURITY:
Safety, harmony and stability of society, of relationships, and of self.
(family security, national security, social order, clean, reciprocation of
favors)
So, how are
you and I orientated – individually or together?
What do you
and I value – individually or together?
And again,
what is valued by those who have power and influence now (really,
virtually, ‘augmentally’) and who may be driving, building-in and guiding or
controlling the development of ‘AI’ and its application, operation and
regulation?
The future
of current and future generations, whatsoever they may be called[xii], perhaps,
possibly, may depend on the answer to this question…
©‽istis
NB: further
reflections and comments linked to this week’s theme and past blog entries to
be found on Twitter: replies, retweets (which don’t necessarily indicate
approval, sometimes the very opposite!) and ‘likes’: @Pistis_wonders. ‘Follows’
and respectful comment and dialogue welcome...
[i] https://bcwmovatory.com/bcw-age-of-values-2023-report/:
‘Our values are foundational; they shape
our identities, determine what is important to us and impact how we engage with the world and those communicating with us. They are more constant than attitudes,
opinion, knowledge, or emotion; because
once consolidated in adolescence, they tend to remain stable throughout our adult lives.
They not only explain past behaviors but can also predict how we will behave in
the future.
‘Values are also everywhere, permeating culture and
politics as never before. Whether it’s brand values, corporate values, cultural
values, or our own personal values, they dominate our conversations and define
our arguments. So, we wanted to
understand more since we are in the “Age of Values”; who holds
which values and where, and how they shape people’s
interests, concerns, and behaviors.’
[iii] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jun/07/power-hungry-hedonists-survey-reveals-what-drives-generation-z
[iv]
Joe Biden, 8.6.2023: Biden said. "I met in the Oval Office with eight
leading scientists in the area of AI. Some are very worried that AI can
actually overtake human thinking and planning. So we've got a lot to deal with.
An incredible opportunity, but a lot do deal with." https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/06/01/president-biden-warns-ai-could-overtake-human-thinking/70277907007/
[v] ‘Barely
a week goes by without AI experts issuing catastrophic warnings about the
technology’s potential impacts, and even AI companies themselves have expressed
a desire for regulation.’
In: ‘Rishi Sunak wants to lead the world on AI. The
world ain’t listening’ by Laurie Clarke,
Annabelle Dickson And Cristina Gallardo in ‘Politico’: https://www.politico.eu/article/rishi-sunak-ai-technology-wants-to-lead-the-world-on-ai-the-world-aint-listening/
[vi] https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/?&mnid=sKRph7fSr-dc_mtid_20925xua42643_pcrid_661144946855_pgrid_158450703828_pexid__&cid=wwa-uk-kwgo-avalanche--slid--productid--BRAND-Avalanche-Announce-&mtid=20925xua42643&aosid=p238
& https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMINprh9pzQ
[vii] https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/bentham/#:~:text=In%20the%20Fragment%20Bentham%20stated,1977%2C%20393%2C%20440n%5D).
[ix]
Many references including one found this weekending: https://theconversation.com/from-each-according-to-ability-to-each-according-to-need-tracing-the-biblical-roots-of-socialisms-enduring-slogan-138365
[x]
From the BCW Motavatory report: ‘Using
our research data and working with our expert partners, we have established
that we all belong to one of seven Values ArchetypesTM. Each has a distinct
values profile, and therefore different life philosophies and communications
imperatives for how to engage them. The archetypes range from ‘The Visionary’,
who values personal freedom and creativity, to ‘The Protector’, who prioritizes
people and the planet, to ‘The Traditionalist’, who focuses on safety, stability,
and harmony. Our analysis busts the myth that Gen Z is one uniform group.
Instead, it dominates the four other archetypes: ‘The Success Seeker’, who is
driven by a desire for power and personal achievement; ‘The Adventurer’,
someone who seeks stimulation and new experiences, ‘The Good Neighbor’, who
places great importance on the welfare of friends, family, and the environment,
and ‘The Conformist’, who wants to fit in and avoid confrontation.’ https://bcwmovatory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/BCW-Movatory-Age-of-Values-2023.pdf
[xi] https://www.europeansocialsurvey.org/docs/methodology/core_ess_questionnaire/ESS_core_questionnaire_human_values.pdf
[xii]
Greatest Generation: Born 1901-1924 / Silent Generation: Born 1925-1945 / Baby
Boomers: Born 1946-1964 / Generation X: Born 1965-1980 / Millennials: Born
1981-1996 / Generation Z: Born 1997-2012 / Generation Alpha: Born 2013-2025… From:
https://journeymatters.ai/7-generations/
‘Journey Matters’ which, interestingly is ‘a visual learning community for
multifamily marketing leaders.’
