Reflections on Some Keywords (Part 1): Journey and History
I once read a history book about the Roman Empire, uniquely structured around thematic topics instead of chronological events. This inspired me to reflect similarly on my past, especially in contextualizing my views on Artificial Intelligence. I have divided the themes to: Journey, History, Philosophy, Liberty and Curiosity.
Journey
"When have you been there? What's your favorite place?" Common questions I face, and my responses often vary with my mood. Despite my extensive travels during childhood, I'm told I fall short as a storyteller, not doing justice to the tales of country hopping. I usually respond with a polite, if somewhat vacant, smile. After all, these interactions are more about civility than genuine interest.
The unpredictability of life is a lesson I've learned well, understanding that even good times and cherished friendships are transient. My father's career took us to notable places like Italy, Indonesia, Australia, and Japan. I remember the feelings of encountering the unfamiliar, with English being the only constant. The experiences often felt like building sandcastles against an inevitable tide, a cycle of creation and destruction.
Yet, there's an underlying optimism in this journey. A belief even that the future is always better than the past. I now seek adventure in day hikes and countryside treks, finding joy in the paths and views they offer. There is always fear and uncertainty but desire for a new path triggers each adventure. My latest journey into the world of Artificial Intelligence might turn out to be the most significant yet, but only time will tell.
History
My interest in history, a subject I delved into before entering IT, remains somewhat mysterious even to myself. Partially influenced by my father's unfulfilled desire to study history and the Roman and World History books at home, my fascination grew. In job interviews, my history background often comes up. My response is simple: I find it intriguing and enjoy reading.
Friends would poke fun about the soft humanities with history being the hippy subject where most of my classmates where British or from parts of European Continent. It is strange however to note the great figures that influence the course of history and business have been history fans. But that aspect is less emphasised perhaps to keep people at bay or as George Orwell's quote "Those who control the past, control the future."
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History, unexpectedly, has become my compass in navigating the surging tides of Artificial Intelligence. The lessons of text, context, bias, and what one might call 'hallucinations' in AI language, are familiar territories for anyone steeped in historical studies. In Medieval texts by monks, I would encounter references to ghosts, witches and monsters. Long before the buzzwords like 'fake news' dominated our lexicon, history taught me to read between the lines, understanding text within its context—considering the author, the era, the underlying motives. This approach turns crucial when scrutinizing outputs from AI models. Often, I find myself instinctively probing, "This seems off. Time for a fact-check." It's akin to an information-processing sixth sense, alerting me to potential inaccuracies.
AI's outputs, I've come to realize, mirror the data they're fed—texts shaped by human biases, reflecting varied perspectives. It's hardly surprising that Large Language Models (LLMs) echo these inclinations, given their training on web-scraped content, fine-tuned and aligned by human hands. This highlights a critical point: understanding the backdrop against which AI is developed is as vital as comprehending its outputs. The nuances of AI, much like the intricacies of history, demand a discerning eye for context and a keen sense of skepticism.
But returning back to history, I love the diverse themes and lessons.
The manipulation of history to serve political objectives is a recurrent and potent theme. Take, for instance, China's narrative around the Opium Wars and their subsequent quest for retribution, or the Nazis' propagation of the Aryan Myth. History, in these contexts, transforms into a formidable instrument, sometimes wielded to incite the masses, as Karl Marx famously advocated, or to provide solace in the understanding that even the mighty fall, often due to their own missteps, discernible only in hindsight. The untold stories and lesser-known facets of prominent corporations also offer endless fascination, revealing the unseen layers beneath their success or failure.
Thus, history transcends the mere memorization of dates; it is a reflective exercise, grounded in evidence and the broader context of our shared humanity. The evolution of history in the era of AI remains uncertain. However, one aspect seems likely to persist: the narrative of history, whether taught to our children or discussed among us, will predominantly reflect the priorities of those in power, irrespective of the nature of their governance. In this sense, the entities that govern AI will inherently shape the historical narrative and influence its interpretation and consumption.