Ideology in My Controversy

My controversy is a future controversy turned present by the like of Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk, but it carries many of the same features of current controversies.

'Musk at the 2015 Tesla Motors Annual Meeting' Steve Jurvetson CC BY 2.0

• This controversy is comprised mostly of powerful people in the technology industry vs powerful people outside of the technology industry, and their conflicting views on the risks of artificial intelligence.
• The foremost speakers within these groups are Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking who brought this issue forward publicly in an attempt to solve the issue before it is too late.
• Both groups hold great power, but generally those opposed to what Musk and Hawking suggest are generally more militarily minded.
• All parties hold money and public influence, which is what is being used to bring this issue to the forefront of the technology community.
• It is clear that those who support Musk and Hawking value safety and peace in a more cautious way, whereas those who oppose it are willing to risk for the reward that artificial intelligence can provide.
• There is little evidence for either side other than the science and lower levels of artificial intelligence that we can work with and try to get a better understanding of how future models of AI will work.
• Because this is a debate that is mostly within the hands of the powerful and those who will be at the forefront of creating intelligent AI, most of the official discussion is between powerful individuals and groups.
• The undeniable common ground is that nobody wants to be overtaken by machines.
• The unacknowledged ground is how much of a threat AI will be in the future, which is the basis for the entire debate.
• The groups tend to speak in a more open way, to spread awareness and try to influence others within power while informing the public.