By MIKE MAGEE
In a recent interview, Dr. De Kai warned that artificial intelligence could have “unimaginable consequences” for democratic societies. His work, which spans artificial intelligence, cognition, language, music, creativity, ethics, society, and policy, focuses on the philosophical questions surrounding the fears and possibilities of new technology and how humans can shape their future.
Dr. De Kai, a self-proclaimed “connector” in a world divided by fear and misinformation, is credited with inventing and building the world’s first global-scale online language translator that later spawned Google Translate, Yahoo Translate, and Microsoft Bing Translator. In 2019, he was named one of the inaugural members of Google’s AI Ethics Council.
Emphasizing the importance of creativity in both technical and humanistic dimensions, Dr. De Kai believes that the biggest fear related to artificial intelligence is “fear itself,” as AI has the potential to exponentially amplify human fear, leading to misinformation, divisiveness, polarization, hatred, and paranoia driven by AI-powered social media.
Reflecting on his childhood as a child of Chinese immigrants in St. Louis and summers spent between Hong Kong and the United States, Dr. De Kai realized how cultural frame of reference influences our understanding of music, a realization that laid the foundation for his future work in natural language processing and computational creativity.
Today, Dr. De Kai’s focus is on “raising mindful AI’s” in the face of existential artificial intelligence, which he believes is on the verge of breaking social, cultural, and governmental norms. He is deeply concerned about the impact AI will have on society and culture, which he believes is unprecedented and unimaginable in its potential reach and influence.
As our society continues to integrate AI into everyday life, Dr. De Kai emphasizes the need for a conscious effort to shape AI’s cultural impact, approaching it with compassion, understanding, and a focus on healing and keeping individuals, families, and communities whole.
In a recent New York Times Op-Ed, Dr. De Kai urged Americans to deeply consider the impact of AI on democratic societies and the necessary cultural shifts required to parent AI responsibly. He emphasized the need for reflection on long-term happiness, avoidance of extinction, individual liberties, the collective good, and other competing priorities that require a reevaluation of our cultural norms.
His mission is to make a significant shift in our current culture, which is built on self-interest, hyper-competitiveness, and distrust of government. However, he acknowledges that this is a tall order that will require time and patience to accomplish.
Mike Magee MD is a Medical Historian and a regular contributor to THCB. He is the author of CODE BLUE: Inside America’s Medical-Industrial Complex.
