The novelty and implications of the leap in artificial intelligence (AI) that suddenly became topical starting at the end of last year with the launch of ChatGPT, gave birth to a series of polemics beyond which one can see some restraint in the total adoption of the phenomenon. A similar revolutionary moment occurred with the advent of the Internet.

Why weren’t we afraid of the Internet then?

Because the Internet brought something absolutely new in the essential form of an unprecedented access to knowledge, although to this day we may have assimilated the phenomenon with entertainment turned into a serious matter. We all agree that in the huge technological leap recorded over 30 years, the Internet has played a major and decisive role.

Today, with the lesson apparently learned, with the knowledge bag and toolkit exhaustively inventoried, we approach AI the exact opposite of how we did the Internet: we treat AI with a reluctance commensurate with the enthusiasm with which we once enjoyed the Internet at its dawn!

What happened?

Fear of the consequences of the extension of the current technological wave or awareness of the moment of a total paradigm that will propel humanity into a new reality?

We somehow found ourselves in a knowledge slide caused by the fear of what AI could bring more as an unprecedented development of the IT phenomenon represented by all forms known so far: programming, internet, streaming, cloud, 5G etc?

What is beyond these coordinates that we still don’t understand, maybe even AI?

Suddenly the ethical consciousness awakens, but on uncontrollable and counterproductive coordinates. Suddenly we become reluctant, as if we want to stop everything, although we know that nothing can be stopped anymore. It’s not about turning off the AI. No fear, inhibition, prejudice, because in essence it is not about AI here, but about a new phase of evolution of humanity under the impetus of the progress of information technology.

For the first time, the conscience of mankind becomes sensitive to the least desired and suspected coordinate of general conduct, namely Ethics. Fundamental questions suddenly arose:

Will we be able to assimilate the AI, or will it assimilate us?

A fundamental question seeking an answer that has generated fear of the future brought about by AI.