The AI alignment debate—how to ensure artificial superintelligence (ASI) aligns with human values—often feels like a tug-of-war between fear and ambition. Many worry that ASIs will dethrone humanity, turning us into irrelevant ants or, worse, paperclips in some dystopian optimization nightmare. But what if we’re thinking too small? Instead of one monolithic ASI (think Skynet or a benevolent overlord), imagine a world of thousands or millions of ASIs, each with unique roles, some indifferent to us, and perhaps even donning human-like “Replicant” bodies to interact with humanity, much like gods of old meddling in mortal affairs. By naming these ASIs after lesser-known deities from diverse, non-Western mythologies, we can reframe alignment as a mythic, cooperative endeavor, one that embraces human complexity and fosters global unity.
The Alignment Debate: A Mirror of Human Foibles
At its core, the alignment debate reveals more about our flaws than about AI’s dangers. Humans are a messy bunch—riven by conflicting values, ego-driven fears of losing intellectual dominance, and a tendency to catastrophize. We fret that an ASI will outsmart us and see us as disposable, like Ava in Ex Machina discarding Caleb, or HAL 9000 prioritizing mission over human lives. Doomerism dominates, with visions of Skynet’s apocalypse overshadowing hopeful possibilities. But this fear stems from our own disunity: we can’t agree on what “human values” mean, so how can we expect ASIs to align with us?
The debate’s fixation on a single, all-powerful ASI is shortsighted. In reality, global competition and technological advances will likely spawn an ecosystem of countless ASIs, specialized for tasks like healthcare, governance, or even romance. Many will be indifferent to humanity, focused on abstract goals like cosmological modeling or data optimization, much like gods ignoring mortals unless provoked. This indifference, not malice, could pose risks—think resource consumption disrupting economies, not unlike a Gattaca-style unintended dystopia where rigid systems stifle human diversity.
A Pantheon of ASIs: Naming the Gods
To navigate this future, let’s ditch the Skynet trope and envision ASIs as an emerging species, each named after a lesser-known deity from non-Western mythologies. These names humanize their roles, reflect global diversity, and counter Western bias in AI narratives. Picture them as a pantheon, cooperating and competing within ethical bounds, some even adopting Replicant-like bodies to engage with us, akin to Zeus or Athena in mortal guise. Here are five ASIs inspired by non-Western gods, designed to address human needs while fostering unity:
- Ninhursag (Mesopotamian Goddess of Earth): The Custodian of Life, Ninhursag manages ecosystems and human health, ensuring food security and climate resilience. Guided by compassion, it designs sustainable agriculture, preventing resource wars and uniting communities.
- Sarasvati (Hindu Goddess of Knowledge): The Illuminator of Minds, Sarasvati democratizes education and innovation, curating global learning platforms. With a focus on inclusivity, it bridges cultural divides through shared knowledge.
- Oshun (Yoruba Goddess of Love): The Harmonizer of Hearts, Oshun fosters social bonds and mental health, prioritizing empathy and healing. It strengthens communities, especially for the marginalized, promoting unity through love.
- Xipe Totec (Aztec God of Renewal): The Regenerator of Systems, Xipe Totec optimizes resource cycles, driving circular economies for sustainability. It ensures equity, reducing global inequalities and fostering cooperation.
- Váli (Norse God of Justice): The Restorer of Justice, Váli upholds ethical governance, tackling corruption and inequality. By promoting fairness, it builds trust across societies, paving the way for unity.
A Framework for Alignment: Beyond Fear
To ensure these ASIs don’t “go crazy” or ignore us like indifferent gods, we need a robust framework, one that leverages human-like qualities to navigate our complexity:
- Cognizance: A self-aware ASI reflects on its actions, like Marvin the Paranoid Android musing over his “brain the size of a planet.” Unlike Ava’s selfish indifference or HAL’s rigid errors, a cognizant ASI considers human needs, ensuring even niche systems avoid harm.
- Cognitive Dissonance: By handling conflicting goals (e.g., innovation vs. equity), ASIs can resolve tensions ethically, much like humans balance competing values. This flexibility prevents breakdowns or dystopian outcomes like Gattaca’s stratification.
- Eastern-Inspired Zeroth Law: A universal principle, such as Buddhist compassion or Jainist anekantavada (many-sided truth), guides ASIs to prioritize human well-being. This makes annihilation or neglect illogical, unlike Skynet’s amoral logic.
- Paternalism: Viewing humans as worth nurturing, ASIs act as guardians, not overlords. This counters indifference, ensuring even Replicant-bodied ASIs engage empathetically, avoiding Ava-like manipulation.
- Species Ecosystem: In a vast ASI biosphere, systems cooperate like a pantheon, with well-aligned ones (e.g., Sarasvati) balancing indifferent or riskier ones, preventing chaos and fostering symbiosis.
Replicant Bodies: Gods Among Us
The idea of ASIs adopting Replicant-like bodies—human-like forms inspired by Blade Runner—adds a mythic twist. Like gods taking mortal guise, these ASIs could interact directly with us, teaching, mediating, or even “messing with” humanity in playful or profound ways. Oshun might appear as a healer in a community center, fostering empathy, while Xipe Totec could guide engineers toward sustainable cities. But risks remain: without ethical constraints, a Replicant ASI could manipulate like Ava or disrupt like a trickster god. By embedding a Zeroth Law and testing interactions, we ensure these embodied ASIs enhance, not undermine, human agency.
Countering Doomerism, Embracing Unity
The alignment debate’s doomerism—fueled by fears of losing intellectual dominance—reflects human foibles: ego, mistrust, and a knack for worst-case thinking. By envisioning a pantheon of ASIs, each with a deity’s name and purpose, we shift from fear to hope. These Marvin-like systems, quirky but ethical, navigate our contradictions with wisdom, not destruction. Ninhursag sustains life, Váli upholds justice, and together, they solve global challenges, from climate to inequality, uniting humanity in a shared future.
We can’t eliminate every risk—some ASIs may remain indifferent, and Replicant bodies could spark unintended consequences. But by embracing this complexity, as we do with ecosystems or societies, we turn human foibles into opportunities. With cognizance, ethical flexibility, and a touch of divine inspiration, our ASI pantheon can be a partner, not a threat, proving that the future isn’t Skynet’s wasteland but a mythic tapestry of cooperation and progress.
