That said, however, the second ‘abyssal’ aspect of our AI analysis is that amongst the maze of future possibilities, some potential outcomes can be discerned that are far more deeply disturbing than is allowed by either the maximalist or minimalist positions, with their respective confidence about the continuation or the end of capitalism. These outcomes throw into question assumptions about the labour theory of value, the continued centrality of struggles at the point of production, or even the confidence that capitalism cannot survive the abolition of its human waged workforce. These points demand consideration, not to justify defeatism, but as a component of a revival of revolutionary communist thought. This is what we mean when we say that, at the same time as making a Marxist critique of AI, we make an AI-informed critique of Marxism. What then is AI?
‘A MACHINE CAN BE MADE TO SIMULATE IT’
To understand the effervescence surrounding AI we need to define what AI is and how it functions. We are, emphatically, not AI experts; we will make errors deriving from our lack of technical knowledge as well as from the rapidly evolving nature of the field. Despite such difficulties, we believe grappling with basic AI concepts and how AI actually works is important. Too many accounts of AI, celebratory or dismissive, skip this effort. But it is only through some familiarity with the science and technology of AI that an effective critique can be mounted.
8
inhuman power