One of the things that our course epigraph reminds us when thinking about AI is that there are positives and negatives associated with it, both drastic, but additionally it has the potential to change. In Octavia Butler’s Xenogenesis Trilogy, humans are described in almost the same way, revealing stunning truths and connections between the novel’s premises and AI. These connections begin a conversation about the ambiguities associated with AI and how it will be used in the future. Additionally, there are things about the Oankali that raise red-flags when you think about them in terms of AI, and further add to the conversation. AI has the potential to harm people on a widespread scale just as it has the potential to help them on the same level. Will AI ruin the world, or will it make it exponentially better? That all depends on how we move forward with it.
Before I dive into the pros and cons of AI and its relevance to Octavia Butler’s trilogy, it’s necessary to understand what AI is, how it’s made, and what it does. In Janelle Shane’s novel, You Look Like a Thing and I Love You, she describes AI as “a particular style of computer program called a machine learning algorithm.” (Shane, 8) Machine learning algorithm is pretty self-explanatory; the machine learns on its own through trial and error, and doesn’t just do whatever the programmer tells it to do. The machine learns new information only when it is “fed” new information, either by a programmer or consumer. In the context of machines learning new information and coming up with solutions, she writes “Sometimes these new solutions are ingenious, and sometimes they’re a problem.” (Shane, 22) This is the basis of my essay. In Butler’s novel, this idea can be applied to humans, who are established as intelligent but patriarchal, and described by Akin in Adulthood Rites as “a compelling, seductive, deadly contradiction.” (Butler, 16) If we think about AI in the same way as Butler characterizes the human race in her trilogy, and vice versa, there are strong topics of discussion.
The course epigraph provided by Dr. McCoy is a quote from Butler’s first novel in the trilogy, Dawn. “‘You’re filled with so much life and death and potential for change,’ Nikanj continued. ‘I understand now why some people took so long to get over their fear of your kind.’” (Butler, 89) AI is similar, in a sense, because of its potential to go wildly either way; life, or death. Right now, it’s hard to think about AI with the potential to cause life or death, but it absolutely can and does cause harm on a huge scale. On the other hand, the opposite is true as well. AI absolutely can and does help people tremendously on a huge level, but how AI either helps or harms the population in the future has a chance to change, and that is something we should be very weary and concerned about, but also something we shouldn’t let condemn the use of AI completely. Let’s face it, AI isn’t going away anytime soon; it’s likely here for good. So, rather than trying to avoid it and ignore it, we can reallocate that energy into improving it and adjusting it to cause less harm and provide more aid. Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor, authors of AI Snake Oil, present a similar idea in their text, supporting the idea that AI is here to stay. “When predictive AI is used by governments, however, individuals have no choice but to comply.” (Narayanan and Kapoor, 11) We already see this use of AI now, in facial recognition softwares used by law enforcement, the widespread infiltration of AI in the education system, and even AI in the form of 24/7 chat bots as opposed to real humans for customer support. The choice to use AI becomes less apparent everyday, and we are consequently pushed towards having to use AI because it’s been integrated into many aspects of our daily life. This is why understanding AI and its many forms, as well as how it’s used are important, especially right now. The efforts we put in now to correct bias and fix problematic issues with AI will guarantee that its future will not be harmful.
The element of surveillance in both Butler’s trilogy and AI in real life have shocking resemblances. An article published by Brookings University and written by Darrel West titled “How AI can enable public surveillance” details the dangers of AI-led surveillance. “Technology enables authorities to track dissidents and government critics and identify their statements and locations.” (West). Because of the dictatorship qualities of China’s government, this type of use of AI becomes very dangerous for those who oppose the ideas and actions of leadership, and a violation of privacy and human rights. Although this is the worst case scenario, it is important to remember that with the advancements made in the AI department, the United States is a lot closer to this than we think. West states “Reports have surfaced about potential abuses in the U.S., including government contracts that may enable the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to monitor social media.” (West). It doesn’t seem very scary as is, but knowing how China has already executed these functions of AI to maintain power should startle us. One of the things that West emphasizes is the lack of a national privacy bill; “there are few legal safeguards to limit workplace computer or network surveillance.” (West). Individual freedom and human rights are things that should not be violated, period, and the United States (among other countries) is getting dangerously close to crossing that line. In Butler’s trilogy, notably in the first book of the series, Dawn, the level of surveillance on Chkahichdak is very comparable to these instances of AI violations. “Yes. The ship is alive and so is almost everything in it. The Oankali use living matter the way we used machinery…we’re being watched–just as we were all watched in our isolation room.” (Butler, 157). The humans on the ship were under complete surveillance at all times, whether by Oankali watching from the outside or the ship itself, alive and in constant connection with the Oankali. While the Oankali tried to make their approach kind, careful, and meticulous, there were obviously some issues with their tactics. Firstly, it is a violation of human rights to not allow privacy; it is important to note that while Lilith was in isolation without any human contact or interaction, she could not have done any harm to the Oankali, Jdahya could have very well let her sleep and be alone for a few moments to allow her more comfort. In the second two novels, Adulthood Rites and Imago, this type of surveillance does not let up on earth. It is rare for a community of humans to go undiscovered by the Oankali like the inbred group of humans trying to preserve themselves, yet their ability to do so shows that there are gaps in what can be surveillanced. This is true with AI surveillance in real life, too, but it is possible that if we continue the way we are going with AI and its bias and garbage, this sliver of hope could come to an end.
There are many pros and cons of AI, which I aim to explore in this section. Firstly, AI Snake Oil by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor describes a multitude of different kinds of AI, its functions and additionally how to tell what is AI and what’s not. Firstly, predictive AI is incredibly unreliable and also incredibly unethical. “Accurately predicting people’s social behavior is not a solvable technology problem, and determining people’s life chances on the basis of inherently faulty predictions will always be morally problematic.” (Narayanan & Kapoor, 15) On another note, predicting people’s social behavior is also very invasive and unnecessary. The misuse of AI and the uncontrollable bias can disproportionately harm minorities and other oppressed groups. In Butler’s trilogy, Nikanj unwillingly and subconsciously slips up and creates Human-Oankali constructs before they are ready for them to exist. This is an unintentional act, and the consequences are grave for construct children, who struggle in the latter half of the series to reach metamorphosis and adulthood. They are kidnapped by other raider humans, and if they are not essentially perfect in conducting themselves, they have to be sent to the ship and leave the beautiful earth, as well as their families and friends. Nikanj’s mistake, although not purposeful in the slightest, disproportionately affects the construct children. Bias in AI is not always intentional, either, but very harmful nonetheless. This idea is explored in Christensen, Manley, and Resendez’s article, “Medical Algorithms are Failing Communities of Color.” “Insurance companies misuse personal information such as race and income in risk-prediction algorithms to manipulate health care costs and raise premiums.” (Christensen et. al.) In the context of insurance companies in real life, this is where we see intentional bias used simply for the goal of making more money. This is something that we absolutely need to get on top of and either reform or eradicate before the damage it does to minority populations is devastating. Starting with the cons in this section is purposeful; they are incredibly substantial and have the potential to harm people on a widespread level that was not humanly possible before the invention of predictive AI and other forms of AI.
In the words of Narayanan and Kapoor, “It’s important to recognize that not all AI is problematic–far from it.” (Narayanan & Kapoor, 14) There are several pros to AI, as in some cases it makes everyone’s lives easier. Everyone is getting more comfortable and acquainted with forms of AI, such as users described in Danielle Abril’s article, “Meet the ‘super users’ who tap AI to get ahead at work.” She writes that AI tools “help them boost efficiency and confidence at work and reclaim hours of time.” (Abril) While it is great to have new, smart tools that guide and aid efforts in both education and the workplace, it is also important to remember that the overreliance on AI to do everything for you is dangerous. Keeping in mind that this is the “pros” section, it is necessary for me to expand on the but/and aspect. Sara Merken writes “New York lawyers sanctioned for using fake ChatGPT cases in legal brief,” an article that touches on the overreliance of lawyers on AI, so much that they cannot even recognize fake cases from the real ones. Lawyers are public defenders, and perhaps one of the most important jobs in maintaining a defense for civilians against people of power, yet even their use of AI is affecting how they perform their job in a negative way. Beatrice Nolan shares in her article, “AI plagiarism is spreading in US colleges. It’s left professors feeling confused and exhausted,” how the overreliance on AI in education is affecting students and faculty. She writes “Schools and universities initially tried to combat the flood of AI-generated plagiarism by banning the technology outright. Now, many are trying to incorporate technology into curriculums and encourage students to use it responsibly.” (Nolan) Coming from someone who has been in the education system as a student since the creation of ChatGPT and through it’s many developments and advancements, I can confidently say that what Nolan is sharing in her article is very true. As a freshman in college, the use of ChatGPT in almost every class was strictly not allowed. However, now that I am a junior, there have been many classes I’ve taken where ChatGPT use is not disallowed, but you must be very specific in documenting how it was used and what information you got from it. As time goes on and ChatGPT gets “better” and “better,” “the widespread use of AI is becoming harder to spot and even harder to police.” (Nolan).
The parallels between the human-Oankali dynamic in Octavia Butler’s trilogy reveal many both hard and deep truths about the potential for harm and aid when it comes to elements of AI. Humans in Butler’s novel are described as having a lethal contradiction: intelligent and self-destructive, and AI holds the same contradictions. It is capable of enhancing lives globally, but it also has the potential to infringe on human rights and cause harm on the same scale, depending on how developers and consumers use it, shape it, and move forward with it. As we explore the limits and borders of AI technology, Butler’s trilogy and concepts remind us that like humanity in her novels, the future of AI technology does not just rely on whether it exists or not- but on our interactions with it. In order to ensure a future where AI does not disproportionately harm communities and human beings, we need to approach it with responsibility and a commitment to ending harm and bias and also equity. I believe that the future of AI can be miraculous if we take the steps necessary now to ensure there are no gaps or mistakes in it’s development.