Social Dilemma to AI Dilemma: What’s Next

Abstract

The increasing influence of AI-driven technologies on human society is a significant concern. The 2020 documentary "The Social Dilemma" highlighted how AI algorithms in social media platforms manipulate users, leading to issues like declining mental and physical health, privacy breaches, and the uncontrolled spread of misinformation. Despite this awareness, these problems persist. The emergence of Generative AI (Gen AI), exemplified by Large Language Models (LLMs) and image/video generation tools, presents an amplified challenge, as highlighted in the 2023 presentation by the Center of Humane Technology titled "The AI Dilemma." It stated the escalating recklessness of AI companies deploying powerful AI systems without a full understanding of their capabilities, making them harder to control and predict, and potentially leading to catastrophic consequences. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential future implications of advanced AI, particularly Gen AI, given the precedents set by social media AI. This study adopts a qualitative, analytical approach, examining past and present AI dilemmas and extrapolating potential future challenges. The conceptual findings indicate that the rapid pace of AI development is outpacing the establishment of ethical guidelines, making internet governance more difficult. The creation of realistic deepfakes, sophisticated manipulation of public opinion, and the erosion of reality are major concerns. The conclusion is that if humanity struggled to manage the implications of AI-driven algorithms in social media, it is ill-prepared for Gen AI, which poses risks of an entirely different magnitude, potentially impacting our ability to control our future and even our existence. Therefore, proactive preparation and a focus on human well-being in technology design and governance are crucial.