Can evil take over artificial intelligence?

President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan attended the 1st National Intelligent Transportation Systems Conference organized by the Turkish Intelligent Transportation Systems Association. Speaking under the title "Evil and Artificial Intelligence in a Changing World," Tarhan emphasized that all evil arises from a lack of empathy. Tarhan stated that AI will be beneficial when used for the right purposes, and instead of complaining about AI, people who think good, true, and beautiful thoughts should input plenty of good, true, and beautiful information into AI. Otherwise, he noted, evil could spread rapidly and take over artificial intelligence.

The conference, held at Teknopark Ankara, attracted significant interest from participants.

"Algorithms in the brain work together with genetic codes"

Beginning his speech by emphasizing the dynamic balance of opposites, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that "When we look at living beings, we see that they all operate based on needs such as eating, drinking, reproducing, and sheltering. That is, they are programmed for survival, to stay alive. Algorithms in the brain work together with genetic codes, and the brain manages this process with the proteins it produces. For instance, let's say there is a threat. Faced with a threat, the brain immediately makes an assessment and, as a result, decides: fight, flight, or freeze. It chooses one of these three and acts accordingly. This is an inherent algorithm in our brain. It exists in humans and animals, but humans have something more. While doing these things, humans, unlike other creatures, attribute meaning. For example, there is a structure in the human brain we call the 'default mode network.' It works like a meaning network. This network is most active when daydreaming or when a person contemplates their place in the universe. This network operates according to human free will. When free will comes into play, things change. For instance, if you look at an animal's imagination, it might involve things like eating or drinking, but a human's imagination varies from person to person because humans have free will. In other words, humans operate according to the dynamic balance of opposites."

"We have the potential to go towards both infinite good and infinite evil"

Discussing the concepts of benevolence and malevolence, Tarhan stated that "There is the second law of thermodynamics, the law of entropy. According to this law, there is not actually darkness, only the absence of light. There is not cold, only the absence of heat. In behavioral entropy, there is not evil, only the absence of good. That is, good, evil, light, warmth, darkness – they all exist in a balance. If we do not increase goodness, evil emerges spontaneously. Because there is a piece of bad within all of us. If we nurture that bad part, we eventually become malevolent. If we nurture our good side, then goodness increases. First, it is necessary to define universally what is good and what is bad. If we don't have a measure, a ruler, we cannot draw a straight line. If you draw with a crooked ruler, it will come out crooked anyway. Evil is like that too. If we have wrong ethical standards, we become malevolent. If we have correct ethical standards, we become benevolent. This is unique to humans. Other living beings live entirely according to their genetic algorithms. Because we possess free will, we have the potential to go towards both infinite good and infinite evil."

"We are in a period where evil is increasing"

Stating that perceptions of evil are becoming commonplace, Tarhan expressed that "Benevolence and malevolence are global phenomena in terms of their increase. It moves like a sinusoidal wave. That is, evil increases, increases, and increases... Then the bad consequences of this evil emerge. Afterwards, goodness begins to sprout. This time, goodness increases, goodness prevails. When goodness prevails, after a while, those who practice goodness become selfish, retreat into their comfort zones, become self-serving. Then evil begins to increase again. There has always been such a sinusoidal cycle in history. We are currently in a period where evil is increasing. You see what is happening in Gaza, you watch what is happening in the world. Our perceptions of evil are becoming normalized. Indeed, Dante has a saying, 'The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.' Someone who commits evil does so by nature, just like a snake enjoys poisoning. What is truly important is the position we take against it. If a person can act according to their own righteous character in every environment and under all conditions, that is the greatest antidote to evil."

"All evil stems from a lack of empathy"

Pointing out that empathy is one of the most critical concepts related to evil, Tarhan noted: "This is actually the key concept. If you were to gather all evils into one room, the door would be opened by a lack of empathy. All evil arises from a lack of empathy. There is a personality type characterized by a lack of empathy. This is called Cluster B personality. Narcissistic individuals fall into this group. Borderline personalities are also in this group – individuals whose behavior is unstable, emotionally volatile. There is a state of instability in every area. Such individuals have serious difficulty empathizing. Antisocial individuals are also included in this group. They are more prone to crime, disregarding social rules. When these three structures come together, they are referred to in literature as the 'dark triad': Antisocial personality, narcissism, and Machiavellianism. All three are based on self-interest. The understanding that 'the end justifies the means.' They might succeed in the short term, but they lose in the long run."

Artificial intelligence can be good or bad!

Expressing that artificial intelligence imitates the human brain, Tarhan explained that "AI simulates the brain. A simulation was created using genetic algorithms and neural networks, and for the first time, a simulation of the brain was achieved. When making decisions, the brain calculates probabilities. It performs a cost-benefit analysis. The front part of our brain, the frontal lobe, is the decision-making region. There is a jury there. It works exactly like a jury. At the head of the jury is a judge. Next to the judge are four others. The first is a scientist, asking, 'Is this real or not?' The second is a moralist or a theologian, asking, 'Is this right or wrong?' The third is an aesthetician, asking, 'Is this beautiful or ugly?' And there's also a businessperson who performs the cost-benefit analysis. Currently, the capitalist system only uses that cost-benefit analysis, disabling the others. The frontal lobe says do or do not, yes or no. We make decisions every minute, every second. Because the brain works with an algorithm system. Since AI mimics our brain, it actually mimics humans. Human nature has predispositions towards both benevolence and malevolence. Therefore, since AI mimics humans, it can be a good entity or a bad entity."

"Having ethical standards is the first condition"

Highlighting that AI must adhere to ethical standards, Tarhan stated that "For AI to be used purposefully and beneficially, data cleansing must first be performed. Having ethical standards is the first condition. Secondly, transparency is crucial. If it is transparent, we can easily prevent malevolent scenarios because they will know which algorithm AI wrote. Thirdly, it needs to be inclusive. The more people use AI, the easier AI will find truth and reality. Therefore, instead of complaining about AI, people who think good, true, and beautiful thoughts need to feed AI plenty of good, true, and beautiful information. If we don't, after a while, evil, which is viral and spreads very quickly, will take over. Malevolent information will seize AI. AI can crash planes, start wars, do anything. You load a bad algorithm; it crashes a plane. This is why data security and cybersecurity have become so prominent now. That risk is always inherent. It can disrupt social mobility, economic activity with a virus. It can affect bank account activity on a global scale. This is even called 'E-warfare' in psychological warfare. Electronic warfare. If a war broke out now, commercial warfare would become more important. That's the most dangerous kind. Planes could not take off, systems could not function. All life would stop. It would be very effective."

"This characteristic is one of the fundamental differences separating humans from other living beings"

Emphasizing the ability to generate hypotheses, Tarhan said: "What programs our brain is intention. Intended behavior. There are even new studies on the neuroscience of intention. The brain works differently when it intends something versus when it doesn't. We have mirror neurons in our brain. And there are emotional mirror neurons. That is, when we talk to someone with strong emotions, areas related to love, fear, hatred become active in the other person's brain. Brains work like wireless internet. They connect. For example, in children with advanced autism, the structure in the brain called 'Theory of Mind' does not work. That's why they cannot empathize. Empathy skills are related to mirror neurons. Being able to read the other person's emotions, what we call emotional literacy, is this, but they cannot empathize. They only believe what they see. For instance, you cut an apple. Someone without abstract thinking ability looks at the apple and just sees a seed. But a person with a developed theory of mind, capable of abstract thought, can see the apple tree within the seed. They say, 'This apple came from here, but if I plant this seed in the ground, it will become an apple tree. Therefore, there is an apple tree inside this seed.' They see it with the mind's eye. This is the ability to generate hypotheses. This characteristic is one of the fundamental differences separating humans from other living beings."

"The global problem has infected us too…"

Mentioning the increase in household fragility, Tarhan stated: "Households of five people are considered healthy. Single-person households are defined as fragile households. Currently, single-person, single-parent families, and individuals living alone have increased significantly worldwide. Especially in Northern European countries. It's the same in the UK. This household fragility is increasingly prevalent in our country too. Looking at statistics, five-person households are decreasing while single-person households are multiplying. This is actually a global problem, and it has infected us too. Yet, we are a society that loves warm relationships. We are a society with strong close contact and family ties, but we too have been affected by global culture. Loneliness is actually not a cause but a consequence. Because modernism has changed our philosophy of life. In our philosophy of life, hedonism is now at the forefront. Chasing pleasure has become the ego ideal. The global system wants to increase production by increasing consumption. They see it as the more that is consumed, the more things will be bought. For example, physical appearance is glorified through slogans like 'There are no ugly women, only women who don't take care of themselves,' advertisements, and the cosmetics industry. Not the inner appearance. This is also a deliberate manipulation."

"We will be the subjects of AI, not its objects"

Stating that AI provides benefits when used positively, Tarhan concluded his remarks as follows: "It is not right to see AI only as a threat. Jesus emerged in Palestine but became globalized in Rome. How did this happen? There is a destiny, an order there too. As they say, 'All roads lead to Rome.' What made Rome Rome were the stone roads. Those roads facilitated military, social, and economic mobility. The followers of Jesus also spread via these roads and became influential in Rome. Today's stone roads are digital platforms. Therefore, we should see AI, the internet, and digital tools not as threats, but as opportunities. Those who possess truth should use digital means well to convey this truth. If we don't use it, others will use it and direct it. We should use AI not just for commerce, for making more money, but also for our ideals, to lead humanity towards a better future. People who attribute such meaning will work on it day and night, sleep in the lab, even dream of experiments. Discovery happens like this. In China, children as young as 6 are now being taught AI. Because AI's impact on humanity is a revolution as significant as the printing press or electricity. Therefore, instead of debating AI, let's focus on how to use it for good. AI offers us very powerful positive opportunities. And we will be the subjects of AI, not its objects. If we are in the driver's seat, the direction comes from us, but if we are objects, ideas come from elsewhere and start to manage us."

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)