AI Promises: A Glimpse into Our Future?

The head of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, isn't worried about AI taking over the world. In a lengthy blog post, he painted a vision where AI solves all our problems. From curing diseases to ending world hunger, Amodei believes AI can do it all. He thinks powerful AI, smarter than a Nobel Prize winner, will arrive by 2026. This AI could control any software or hardware and do most jobs better than humans. But is this all too good to be true? Today's AI doesn't "think" like we do. It mimics patterns from data. For Amodei's vision to work, AI needs to think like humans. Robotics also need to catch up so AI can perform tasks like lab experiments. This seems far-fetched, as current robots are very fragile. Amodei predicts AI will help cure many diseases and even double human lifespan to 150 years. But AI hasn't transformed medicine yet. Even if it does, there's no guarantee it won't fail at later stages or be biased. He also thinks AI can end world hunger, stop climate change, and boost economies in developing countries. While these are nice ideas, it's a big leap to think they'll all happen in the next decade. Amodei briefly touches on AI's dangers, suggesting democracies secure AI's supply chain. But he doesn't offer solutions to job displacement or increasing inequality. AI has costs too. It harms the environment and creates inequality. Companies like Anthropic, worth billions, benefit the most. It's like they're saying, "Get on board, or you'll be left behind. " But is this all just a sales pitch?