The Dark Side of AI is Not AI: It’s Human Economic Behaviour
“Human nature is as capable of cannibalism as it is of the Critique of Pure Reason.”
— Robert Musil, The Man Without Qualities, Ch. 83
Human ingenuity has brought us extraordinary achievements. We have decoded the human genome, reached the depths of the oceans, explored the edges of the solar system, and connected billions of people across the planet. In many ways, this is the most prosperous and intellectually vibrant period in human history.
These achievements are the fruits of rationality and imagination, a testament to our unique capacity to transcend the mundane. Yet, as Musil so poignantly observed, the same nature capable of such brilliance is equally capable of destruction.
This duality of human nature — our ability to elevate and to exploit — defines the current moment. Today, we stand on the brink of the age of AI, a technological leap with unparalleled potential to transform our lives. Yet every leap forward carries a shadow. The dark side of AI is not inherent in the technology but a reflection of the systems, values, and priorities of the humans who wield it.
Exploitative Wealth
For centuries, humanity’s pursuit of progress has been relentless. Economic systems designed to maximize efficiency, growth, and consumption have driven material wealth but often at the expense of the foundations of life: clean air, water, and biodiversity. These economic systems are not merely unsustainable — they are unraveling the delicate balance that makes life on Earth possible.
AI, instead of challenging these destructive paradigms, has been co-opted to accelerate them. Algorithms drive supply chains that flood markets with disposable goods, maximize the extraction of fossil fuel resources, and perpetuate overconsumption. AI is not an autonomous force; it is a technology shaped by human intent. And too often, that intent has been exploitative.
A Damned Mirror to Ourselves
When Geoffrey Hinton and others warn of the existential risks of superintelligence, their fears seem to reflect a deep anxiety about power. The fear is not just of machines overtaking humanity but of a system with unchecked power and no moral compass. To me, the most immediate historical precedent for these fears is not the machines — it is us.
Human history offers countless examples of our destructive capabilities. We have annihilated entire species, devastated ecosystems, and waged wars that have obliterated human communities.
The fear of superintelligence might stem from the possibility that such intelligence could imitate human behavior, but with far greater efficiency. Alternatively, it could reach the rational conclusion that humans themselves are the greatest threat to Earth’s ecosystems and act to eliminate us to preserve life for other species.
Damned if it mirrors us, damned if it surpasses us.
But why superintelligence would be such a cruel and murderous being? I do not know, but I do know that for thousands of years, we have been capable of committing genocides and destroying ecosystems without the aid of AI. Even in an era defined by unparalleled knowledge and technological prowess, we destroy ecosystems at breathtaking speed. AI, far from being the cause of these issues, acts as an amplifier of human ambition — both noble and destructive.
A Multicrisis of Our Own Design
The crises we face today — climate change, biodiversity collapse, economic inequality, and political instability — are not accidents. They are the outcomes of systems designed to prioritize immediate gains over long-term sustainability. The technologies we create, including AI, are extensions of these priorities, reflecting and amplifying the same short-sightedness.
The dark side of AI is not a dystopian future where machines outwit humanity. It is here already, in the countless ways we use AI to sustain unsustainable practices.
Forests are felled not for survival but for profit. Microplastics circulate in the bloodstreams of newborns. Entire species vanish daily due to human activity. This is the world we are building, and AI — far from being a solution — is often a force multiplier for these destructive trends.
We are now at a critical juncture, facing converging crises — environmental collapse, social inequality, and political instability. These are not the inevitable outcomes of progress; they are consequences of choices we have made.
We Are Free to Choose Better Future
I am a possibilist*. History shows us that transformation is possible. Humans have abolished oppressive systems, rebuilt in the wake of disasters, and imagined entirely new ways of organizing society. While these changes have often come slowly and imperfectly, they remind us of our capacity for reinvention.
Artificial intelligence could play a pivotal role in this reinvention — not as a solution in itself, but as a technology for amplifying our better instincts. AI could help us design more sustainable economies, predict and mitigate environmental crises, and create systems that prioritize equity and well-being. But to realize this potential, we must first confront the true excistential risk: ourselves.
AI offers us a remarkable opportunity to rethink how we live, work, and coexist. The real question is not whether AI can save or destroy us — it is whether we can overcome our own destructive tendencies and choose to build a better world.
We are free to choose.
*Possibilist: A possibilist is neither an optimist who assumes everything will turn out fine, nor a pessimist who believes humanity is doomed to failure. Instead, a possibilist recognizes that the future is uncertain and shaped by human choices. They believe in the potential for humans to rise to the occasion and do the right thing, even in the face of daunting challenges. Possibilists do not rely on blind hope but on the belief that transformation is possible if we choose it and act with intention.
