Category Archives: manifesto

The Techno-Optimist Manifesto vs Iron Man

The Techno-Optimist Manifesto contrasts with the mainstream view of AI, as mentioned in the week two assignments. As most of us have undoubtedly seen from the movies we’ve watched, AI is nearly universally portrayed negatively in society and is frequently held responsible for a variety of problems. The manifesto emphasizes that technology is the foundation of the world and presents AI in a good way. Their views on AI are reflected in the manifesto, which also emphasizes how it may change the world. 

The movie I watched last week for my DS106 AI Film Review, was Iron Man 1 which includes J.A.R.V.I.S., Tony Stark’s AI assistant. The manifesto and Iron Man share some similarities relating to AI, nevertheless there are also contrasts between the two. The first common theme I recognized between the manifesto and Iron Man is that they both display a positive view of AI. J.A.R.V.I.S. showed that AI advancements can be a means to improve human life in the ability to solve problems, which was similarly described in the manifesto. In both the manifesto and movie AI is portrayed in a positive light. The manifesto talks about how AI can be used as a problem solver that can help save lives and contribute to several ways of life. Similarly as I talked about above, J.A.R.V.I.S., is a highly functioning and helpful assistant to Tony Stark, showing the capabilities and positive side of AI. In my opinion both the manifesto and Iron Man harp on the theme of technological abundance. The manifesto wants AI to continue on its upward trend to make everything abundant, similarly Tony Stark has the ability to create advanced technology that enhances his capabilities as Iron Man. 

On the contrary, there are certainly differences in some of the themes presented in the manifesto compared to Iron Man. The first thing I thought of while reading through the manifesto was that it is a real-world document that promotes a positive image on AI and how it can practically impact the world. Whereas, Iron Man, while a great movie, is a fictional movie in Marvel that portrays AI and advanced technology just a part of Iron Man’s story. The manifesto also does not just consider AI as a means of technology, but rather a universal problem solver. The manifesto states that AI could help fields like medicine and help enhance other human capabilities. In contrast, J.A.R.V.I.S. is more simply a tool that acts as Iron Man’s assistant. While the manifesto definitely believes we should be optimistic for the future of AI, it doesn’t fail to recognize that there are certainly ethical considerations. Iron Man mainly highlights the positive aspects of J.A.R.V.I.S., failing to really show the possible ethical implications and the responsibility that comes with advanced technology. Going back to my point of realism vs. fiction, the manifesto outlines a vision as a material philosophy, with the belief that the future will be better because of it. Again, with Iron Man being a fictional movie purely for entertainment purposes, uses AI simply as a means in the superhero narrative, which contributes to the entertainment of the movie. 

To conclude, both The Techno-Optimist Manifesto and Iron Man share some similar positive views on AI, however the manifesto is a real-word document advocating for a specific perspective, while Iron Man is a fictional portrayal of AI within the context of a superhero movie.

After asking Dr. Oblivion what he thought about my reflection, he initially says I have made quite the effort to compare and contrast these two sources. He goes on to agree with me that the manifesto paints a positive picture of AI while Iron Man showcases the wonders of Tony Stark’s AI assistant, J.A.R.V.I.S. Dr. Oblivion focuses on the fact that both sources seem to portray AI in a positive light. He then gives examples from my above paragraphs, manifesto highlights the potential of AI as a problem solver, while J.A.R.V.I.S. displays the capabilities and benefits of advanced technology. Dr. Oblivion then goes into the differences of the two, the manifesto is a real world document promoting a positive image of AI’s practical impact while Iron Man is just a fictional movie in the Marvel universe. He finishes with, the manifesto also emphasizes AI as a universal problem solver where J.A.R.V.I.S. is just a handy tool for Iron Man. Overall, Dr. Oblivion seemed to be fairly satisfied with my answer, even reiterating lots of the points I made throughout my reflection.  

The other side of techno-optimism

a design representing an early 20th century vision of a techno-dystopiaIn The Techno-Optimist Manifesto, Andreessen puts forward a story about the relationships between humanity and technologies. We should consider his perspective, and what he highlights and what he ignores.

He says, “We believe [technology] is the story of the material development of our civilization; this is why we are not still living in mud huts, eking out a meager survival and waiting for nature to kill us” People live in brick houses and live paycheck to paycheck, until they get sick and die. What has changed? Some people are billionaires who think if they hoard enough resources they can cheat death.

Andreessen sees the world from the perspective of an owner/investor, rather than a worker. Tech (and people) work for him and his benefit. What those people have to do, and under what conditions, is invisible to him.

We believe the techno-capital machine is not anti-human – in fact, it may be the most pro-human thing there is. It serves us. The techno-capital machine works for us. All the machines work for us.

This again reminds me of Darwin Among the Machines, but perhaps that depends on who he means by “us.” The techno-capital machine employs a lot of people, and works for people at Andreessen’s economic stratum.

“Move fast and break things” is not stated, but ever present. People of a certain status can afford to take chances, can afford losses, are protected from broken things and the damage that breaking things causes. The manifesto also echoes, even quotes, Marinetti’s Futurist Manifesto, which inspired no small breakage in the 20th century. This makes me wonder what the techno-optimist is really optimistic about.

So I asked Dr. Oblivion, “Does The Futurist Manifesto offer a useful frame for evaluating the potential of AI? Is it reasonable to consider it optimistic?”

Well, my young friends, the Futurist Manifesto, is a set of ideas written by Filippo Marinetti way back in 1909.
It was all about embracing technological progress and the excitement of the future.
When it comes to evaluating the potential of AI, it’s good to have an open mind like the Futurists.
However, it’s important to balance that optimism with thoughtful consideration of the potential risks and challenges that AI might bring.
So while the Futurist Manifesto gives us a useful frame, it’s always wise to approach AI with a mixture of optimism and caution.

Spoken like a true bot.

The techno-optimist manifesto.

Usually in shows, books, and movies, we get a lot of pessimistic views about the advancement of technology. While some of the examples we are confronted with could turn out to be true, there is a lot left to be said about the opposing view. The view shows AI in all of its light and the advantages that come with it. With this, the question arises “How can we be cautious about the evolution of AI, without letting it drown out the advantages?”

In the movie The Creator, which I reviewed last week, we see both sides of AI. The bad and the good but ultimately by the end of the movie we get swayed into the opinion that AI can be good for the human race or in some capacity show a little sympathy for the human components of AI. There is a big gray area about the morality of AI and to what extent we push it and the biases that surround it. There is sort of a spectrum of techno-pessimists being far on one side and techno-optimists on the other side. The question is “Where do I fall on this spectrum?” 

We have become familiar with the pessimistic side of AI through it being highly incorporated in media coverage, but let’s take a look at the optimistic side. The techno-optimists manifesto is all about the major misconceptions about AI from their standpoint. How technology is the basis of life (which is true.), and how many have sought to demoralize it politically. They offer the view that anything can be solved by AI and in the future it will build a utopia. While they do give a lot of insight into some benefits of the advancement of technology, it seems that their faith is unwavering and without caution. 

I believe that the advancement of technology is inevitable. The wheel was considered technology at a point in time, and so was fire, and now AI. There is no life without the advancement of knowledge and technology. We are the basis of knowledge, whether or not we like it. How it will be regulated is another question. Observing both sides of the argument leaves me with more questions than answers really and without a place to stand firm on the spectrum. Where you stand is up to you, but make sure you do it with the proper education on the topic.

When I asked Dr. Oblivion for feedback on this review, he said that he is more on the cautious side of the spectrum and that nothing that I presented in my speech about the long-standing debate is new. While it isn’t new, all the points I presented are valid. This feedback was compiled from three responses from Dr.Oblivion to get the most accuracy.

Technology: Beneficial or Detrimental?

Over the years technology has definitely taken leaps in its advancements with new phones coming out every year, new gaming consoles, smaller and more portable laptops that contain the same processing power of the old, clunky looking ones, however, it is also important to note that many believe that the rate in which technology is advancing could be a bad thing. The “Techno-Optimist Manifesto” stated that all of the reasons as to why technology advancement should be slowed down or stopped entirely are lies and we should not be listening to these fake rumors. The manifesto argues that we should look down upon the pessimistic views on technology and that technology is doing a lot of good in world and technological advancements lead to progress, economic growth, and various solutions to ongoing real-world problems.

The manifesto argues that technology will bring good real-world change and argues against centralized planning for the economy because the system of production and consumption is too complex. However, the article also states that with the use of free markets, technological advancements are fostered and advocates for this idea, while arguing the more centralized economic planning idea as stated before. With the use of free market planning, the articles states that the quality of life for humans increases by a lot and leads to an abundance of energy efficiency practices and intellectual enhancement. The article also states that with the use of technology our outreach as humans can expand beyond just Earth. With the help of technology, starvation and disease rates can be reduced, the quality of life for humans and the standard of living in many areas can increase, and the economic growth of various places from around the world could prove to be benefits for advancement of technology. The expansion of human potential is a big theme in this article because with the advocacy for the advancement of technology, there brings new opportunities for us humans to advance as a race and move into a more beneficial world.

Looking back to the film review, for which I watched Iron Man, this article actually fits in pretty well. At first, the movie starts out with mercenaries stealing highly dangerous weapons to use them for bad purposes but are eventually overthrown. The main character, Tony Stark, then realizes the true detriments for his weapons and decides that he will no longer create technologies that are detrimental to the world. Looking forward into the movie, he is able to use his mind and love for technology to build a suit that can help keep people safe from various dangers and eventually build even more suits to keep other people safe as well. He always advocated for a “suit of armor” around the world because he knew what kind of dangers could fester within the world of technology if the wrong people for their hands on it. Relating back to the article that advocates for the advancement of technology and the benefits that come with up, the Iron Man film fits in perfectly with that theme. The advancements in technology made by Stark eventually lead to a situaiton where he is in a suit of armor that is used to save the Earth and eventually, the universe. The article states that there is a better quality of life and standard of living for humans when advancements in technology are made, and Stark proves that when in “Avengers,” uses his suit that he created in the Iron Man film to reroute a missile that was headed for the city of New York into space so that nothing bad ever happens to the city. Personally, I think that I agree with the manifesto and that we should keep striving for excellence within the field and try out best to bring in more and more beneficial ideas to the world so that everyone can be better off. When Dr. Oblivion was asked what his thoughts on the matter was, he stated that people believe that AI is very good and will solve all of our problems but he also heavily stated that we should proceed with caution because sometimes technological advancements bring about unwarranted issues and dangers. When reviewing my analysis, Dr. Oblivion pointed out that my analysis was very in-depth and he noticed that from my writing style that was I was agreeing with the points made in the manifesto and he was correct. He also pointed out that it the Iron Man example was a good example to use for the manifesto because it fit in quite “snuggly” to the main ideas being made in the article. Overall, the manifesto was a good read and really challenged the views of pessimists in the field of technology while accurately and efficiently advocated for the advancements of technology and the benefits that they bring.