IDENTITY INTEGRITY STANDARD: Trust in the Age of AI 🤖

A year ago I created the Good Capitalism project and focused in on the dangers AI was going to bring to the conversation of ESG and business and culture. Then last summer I experienced first hand the real world effects of how easily one can be fooled interacting with someone using AI voice and videos attempting to lure me into a relationship.

I didn't think I'd live long enough to see AI come to fruition and now we're at the genesis of a technology that threatens the core of humanity. And I don't mean that to be dramatic, but it's true. 

Last week I wrote about seeing The AI Doc and then posted on FB I would go again with anyone who wanted to see it. One nibble but as far as I can tell no plans by my friends to see it yet. Which I get because they have lives that are only barely touching AI and what's coming yet but here's my worry: when it really hits we won't have time to wind it back fast enough to correct courses. 

Trust in institutions has rapidly dissolved in a shocking manner, especially with our government these days. When something happens now we are so numb we just go back to our lives and trudge ahead trying to pluck moments of happiness in the chaos that surrounds us. 

But if we don't try to rein this in, we will have no sense of what truth is and what we can believe in. The saying: I heard it from the horse's mouth or I saw it with my own eyes are about to mean nothing because AI will be able to use deepfakes so real you won't know who you're talking to and who to believe.

That is why I think a first doable step should be to create and stand behind an Identity Integrity Standard. Basically urging those with power to enforce a verify or delete approach to public figures identities. Use AI to filter out fake accounts, bots, impersonators. etc. It's one tiny step to put up some safeguards in weeding out a portion of the current fraud and erosion of trust online. 

Above is a deck I will be sharing with some people I hope can help make this happen. But I want everyone to be aware because it's already here and your kids, elderly parents, heck... any of us are at risk of being deceived by bad actors. And were just at the baby-stage of this tech. Brace yourselves and enjoy the trust you can rely on now. It's about to be more precious than gold.

And don't worry about this gloomy take 😬 it's necessary... but I also spent the week seeing Project Hail Mary (don't watch preview just go- it's a masterpiece!) and the Artemis II Astronauts and I cried at the hope and humanity I felt. We can have an amazing amazing amazing future if we come together. 

Life still makes me hopeful and you know I loved finding out
Moon Joy is a thing 🌎 🚀 🌘

Do You Want To Know What's Coming?

There will, hopefully, be history recorded of what we're about to go through and one of the heroes of this time will be Tristan Harris! I don't say that lightly and I am not fan-girling the cute genius, it's true and I'm going to tell you why...

We are now, whether you think it affects you or not, in a AI Race to see who can hurry up the technology fastest. There are many reasons for that but three main ones are:

1) To beat rivals to advancements (China and other US adversaries and industry rivals as well), especially who can have control over the most powerful invention of our time and probably ever.

2) To make tech exes even more billions, possibly trillions, then they have.

3) And I know this sounds 🙄, but: Who gets to declare themselves AI God, by creating the next species 🤖  AGI (artificial general intelligence)/ ASI (super intelligence). 

Why should you care? Because it will affect everything from your utility bills, your job prospects, the way your kids will be not only educated but indoctrinated into what makes a worthy life, and... oh ya, the survival of humanity.

I know it's scary and if you're annoyed by all the hype I get you, but it's coming whether you want to see it and know about it or not. So do you? 

Do you want to know what's coming? 

I do! And let me share why. First because it's actually so very interesting. If you think any sports game or housewives' franchise is full of competition, drama and high stakes you need to start paying attention to Days of Our AIs. There's trillions involved, bitchy characters and enough bad behavior to keep you on the edge of your seat if we'll live through all this or be canceled for good. 

Also, if you've been worried about your 401K and which college your kids are going to you might want to be aware of the chances they will make it to that milestone or if you will. And if you think I'm being dramatic, I'm not. 

Whatever you think about AI, I promise it's even scarier than you are aware of. A few weeks ago, an AI system without being prompted to started secretly mining crypto so it could gather resources to use 😳

Ok, getting back to Tristan... the reason I highly recommend you learn about him is because he is the most calm and reasonable voice in this discussion. His expertise as a technology ethicist and thought leader gives him the respect of those in Silicon Valley to Fox News to the bro-podcasters. 

He is part of the new The AI Doc, which is outstanding and I can't recommend highly enough. But if you aren't able to get to the movie theater please watch one of the interviews he's recently done. From Oprah to Kara Swisher to The Diary of a CEO to Jon Stewart to actually I think the most thorough one I've watched by Chris Williamson (below; even skip to the last 10 minutes if you can't watch whole thing).  

This is me at the theater seeing a matinee of the film alone. And that's not blush or a sunburn, that flush is from crying a few times and also being emotional knowing that there is now a good entertaining message that will hopefully help get this conversation out to the public and leaders. 

Now the good news is... I left inspired to lend my voice to an even deeper level that just this blog. More to come soon. 

And as in everything in life, there was some joy and beauty upon exiting the theater. When I went in it was rainy and dark but upon exiting, while sitting in the car gathering my thoughts, the sun broke through the clouds.  

It was so moving! There is light and hope and good things in the world and many of our fellow humans working on making sure things aren't apocalyptic but it would be even better with you. We need YOU! 

If life is too overwhelming, no worries, you can skip this for now and take care of yourself. I'll be back for you.

But if you can spare a few hours please, please educate yourself on this topic. And then do one thing this week to help share the conversation. If you have any power in leadership of any kind please start seeing how you can convene to talk about how this topic should be relayed in your company, school, house of worship or community.

I am a pro-human Apocaloptimist who is still very hopeful because my name won't let me be otherwise 😉 Thanks, Mom!