AI Optimism

Extracted Attributes

• Founded

  1956

• Current Phase

  AI Boom (2020s)

• Environmental Impact

  Potential 80% increase in carbon emissions due to model maintenance

• Public Sentiment (US)

  43% concern regarding existential risk to humanity (as of November 2023)

• US Innovation Principle

  Permissionless Innovation

• Key Technological Drivers

  Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), Neural Networks, Transformer Architecture

• European Regulatory Principle

  Precautionary Principle

• Primary Geopolitical Competitors

  United States, China

Timeline

• Artificial intelligence is founded as an academic discipline. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1956-01-01

• Graphics processing units (GPUs) begin accelerating neural networks, leading to deep learning outperforming previous techniques. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2012-01-01

• Introduction of the transformer architecture, further accelerating AI growth. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2017-01-01

• Beginning of the 2020s AI boom, characterized by rapid progress in advanced generative AI. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2020-01-01

• A YouGov poll finds that 43% of Americans are concerned about AI causing the end of the human race. (Source: Web Search (National Affairs))

  2023-11-01

• Predicted release date for GPT-5. (Source: Web Search (Built In))

  2025-08-01

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of research in computer science that develops and studies methods and software that enable machines to perceive their environment and use learning and intelligence to take actions that maximize their chances of achieving defined goals. High-profile applications of AI include advanced web search engines (e.g., Google Search); recommendation systems (used by YouTube, Amazon, and Netflix); virtual assistants (e.g., Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa); autonomous vehicles (e.g., Waymo); generative and creative tools (e.g., language models and AI art); and superhuman play and analysis in strategy games (e.g., chess and Go). However, many AI applications are not perceived as AI: "A lot of cutting edge AI has filtered into general applications, often without being called AI because once something becomes useful enough and common enough it's not labeled AI anymore." Various subfields of AI research are centered around particular goals and the use of particular tools. The traditional goals of AI research include learning, reasoning, knowledge representation, planning, natural language processing, perception, and support for robotics. To reach these goals, AI researchers have adapted and integrated a wide range of techniques, including search and mathematical optimization, formal logic, artificial neural networks, and methods based on statistics, operations research, and economics. AI also draws upon psychology, linguistics, philosophy, neuroscience, and other fields. Some companies, such as OpenAI, Google DeepMind and Meta, aim to create artificial general intelligence (AGI) – AI that can complete virtually any cognitive task at least as well as a human. Artificial intelligence was founded as an academic discipline in 1956, and the field went through multiple cycles of optimism throughout its history, followed by periods of disappointment and loss of funding, known as AI winters. Funding and interest vastly increased after 2012 when graphics processing units started being used to accelerate neural networks, and deep learning outperformed previous AI techniques. This growth accelerated further after 2017 with the transformer architecture. In the 2020s, an ongoing period of rapid progress in advanced generative AI became known as the AI boom. Generative AI's ability to create and modify content has led to several unintended consequences and harms. Ethical concerns have been raised about AI's long-term effects and potential existential risks, prompting discussions about regulatory policies to ensure the safety and benefits of the technology.

Web Search Results

• AI optimism is a class privilege - Josh Collinsworth blog

  To be an AI optimist, I would need to turn away from this. Ignore it. Consider it all just part of the plan; a price to be casually paid (hopefully by somebody else) in exchange for…what? Writing software a little bit faster? Optimism would require me to believe that my children probably won’t have that kind of experience, or any others I’ve described here. To believe they’ll be in better schools. Better neighborhoods. Have better friends. Better support systems. Won’t ever attract the attention of the wrong guy, or piss off the wrong girl. Won’t ever live in the wrong places. Won’t ever find themselves in the wrong part of the system. Won’t end up on the wrong side of the accelerated inequality. [...] Regardless, even if you naively believe in the tech: you’re still willing to put up with all the harms and dangers of AI until that imagined potential future arrives—which brings us back to the original point. [...] AI optimism requires you to believe that, whoever will be impacted by the sprawling data centers, the massive electricity demands, the water consumption, and the other environmental hazards of the AI boom5, it won’t be you. Whatever disaster might happen, your neighborhood will be safe from it. Probably far away from it. The harms of AI aren’t a standalone issue; as AI becomes a part of other technologies, systems, and parts of society, it’s exacerbating their existing problems, and accelerating damage already being done elsewhere.

• The Case for AI Optimism | National Affairs

  Many greeted this news with wonder and optimism; others responded with cynicism and fear. The latter argue that AI poses a profound risk to society, and even the future of humanity. The public is hearing these concerns: A YouGov poll from November 2023 found that 43% of Americans were very or somewhat concerned about "the possibility that AI will cause the end of the human race on Earth." [...] solid economic performance over the prior two decades while maintaining a large manufacturing sector. [...] situational judgment and fine motor skills, like that of the custodian, were relatively unaffected.

• The Future of AI: How AI Is Changing the World

  ### Climate Change Concerns On a far grander scale, AI is poised to have a major effect on sustainability, climate change and environmental issues. Optimists can view AI as a way to make supply chains more efficient, carrying out predictive maintenance and other procedures to reduce carbon emissions. At the same time, AI could be seen as a key culprit in climate change. The energy and resources required to create and maintain AI models could raise carbon emissions by as much as 80 percent, dealing a devastating blow to any sustainability efforts within tech. Even if AI is applied to climate-conscious technology, the costs of building and training models could leave society in a worse environmental situation than before. ### Accelerated Speed of Innovation [...] ### What does the future of AI look like? AI is expected to improve industries like healthcare, manufacturing and customer service, leading to higher-quality experiences for both workers and customers. However, it does face challenges like increased regulation, data privacy concerns and worries over job losses. ### What will AI look like in 10 years? AI is becoming a bigger part of daily life, with generative AI tools already helping people write, code and learn, and AI systems being used to analyze data and assist in research in almost every industry. In the future, AI could also further assist with human care, household tasks and workplace safety — boosting productivity and efficiency across different settings. ### Is AI a threat to humanity? [...] “I don’t think the methods we use currently in these areas will lead to machines that decide to kill us,” said Marc Gyongyosi, founder of Onetrack.AI. “I think that maybe five or 10 years from now, I’ll have to reevaluate that statement because we’ll have different methods available and different ways to go about these things.” ## Notable AI Milestones Here are a few key milestones in AI history that have shaped what the technology is today — and what it could become in the future. ### GPT‑5 Release (August 2025)

• Positive impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) for good

  However, one of the most compelling and positive narratives surrounding this transformative technology is its ability to be harnessed for social good. From enhancing healthcare delivery to improving disaster response, AI can be leveraged in ways that create substantial social impact, addressing many of the world’s most pressing challenges. This article explores the positive uses of AI, the social impact it is already generating, and how it can continue to uplift underrepresented communities. Key takeaways [...] ## How does AI help society? AI’s most profound societal contributions lie in its ability to solve complex problems more efficiently and accurately than traditional methods. By analyzing large datasets and identifying patterns, AI can streamline processes, reduce human error, and uncover insights that would have otherwise remained hidden. Whether it's through optimizing energy consumption in cities or helping farmers increase crop yields, AI helps society address critical issues such as sustainability, healthcare, and public safety. [...] 1. AI can process large amounts of data efficiently, providing data-driven insights that improve the accuracy and speed of decisions while reducing human bias. 2. AI can transform education by providing personalized learning experiences that adapt to each student’s needs, particularly in underserved areas, improving educational outcomes globally. 3. Bias and inequality can be mitigated through responsible AI deployment, ensuring that algorithms are designed to reduce human biases and foster fair decision-making in areas like hiring and justice. 4. AI contributes significantly to climate action by enabling data-driven environmental monitoring, optimizing energy consumption, and supporting sustainable practices across industries.

• Ways AI can improve our world

  Image generated by prompting Copilot with, “Draw a picture of AI being awesome.” ## ## Real World AI Awesomeness AI has the ability to think faster than humans can imagine. It can handle boring, repetitive tasks faster and more accurately than people. AI also takes in unimaginably large amounts of data and processes it to get an answer in seconds. Generative AI provides the ability to create new and unique content such as images, text and music. These benefits provide potential to all areas of life and science that were previously unimaginable. ### Computer Science