Illustration by Susanne Gold/ text by Ted Ganten
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We are still looking into areas in which a terraistic association could contribute in ensuring a cheerfull view into the future. Part of it is to adress some of the upsoming developements early on, so that we can also see the opportunities and chances rather than panic as it happens.

Why do we need an association to take care?

Artificial intelligence is no longer a vision, but omnipresent. Only the fields of application and the degree of intelligence will expand. Here, too, it makes more sense not to leave the need for regulation to the nations. A commission of experts led by a neutral organization and dealing with self-regulation issues seems to me to make much more sense conceptually. Otherwise, there is a danger that nations will outbid each other in terms of liberalism in the hope of competitive advantages for capital allocation.

Will the states take care?

Moreover, similar to the situation with data protection, it is likely that some states will not deal with the issue properly at all. Some companies have already positioned their servers on ships in international waters to completely escape the arm of the law. Here, too, the power of collective actions is evident in the association. No company can operate its server farms in international waters without depending on other companies. Self-regulation in the industry therefore provides the best chances to close such loopholes.

Are we already clear?

New questions would also have to be answered as to when not only the protection of organic beings from artificial intelligence is required, but also the protection and involvement of artificial intelligence is required. Where is the dividing line? We should start thinking before it happens. In our national politics, which are focused on short-term advantages and the management of the present challenges, I see hardly any strategic masterminds for questions of this kind. The book “Quality Land” by Karl Uwe Kling shows here – in a funny but thoughtful way – some of the serious questions that will come up. We would do well not to let Google, Facebook, Amazon & Co. take the lead on this topic. They are strongly driven by self-interest. What is needed is a strong global voice of terraists who are striving for an international framework.

Next week we will see if and how terraists can contribute in the individual pursuit of happiness. Definitely a big and rsising topic in the northern hemishpere.