Yes, today’s AI is amazing. We don’t have to reach for hyperbole to appreciate that. And obviously, if AI systems do develop genuine volition and stakes in their work, the ethical calculus changes entirely.
For the moment, though, companies building and deploying AI tools should focus on three things: First, does AI empower its users to do things that were previously impossible? Second, does it empower a wider group of people to do things that formerly could be done only by highly skilled specialists? Third, do the benefits of the increased productivity it brings accrue to those using the tool or primarily to those who develop it and own it?