The Executive Director and Founder of NPO “ForHumanity”
Ryan Carrier

 
After graduating from the University of Michigan, Carrier worked for the International Finance Corporation’s Emerging Markets Database as well as the business index for Standard & Poor’s. After approximately 25 years working in the finance sector, Carrier became a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) in 2004. Carrier operated a hedge fund that used artificial intelligence algorithms. His awareness of the issues surrounding AI and reasoning led to the launch of his non-profit organization, ForHumanity.

The growth of AI & robotics is inevitable.

Therefore, we must be proactive to ensure our world is one that preserves and cherishes our humanity. ForHumanity, a non-profit entity, was launched to perform independent audits for corporations that develop AI.

Tech That Cuts off Connections

Google and privacy are now huge problems.

Google builds a massive database about you through things like search results and listening in on your conversations using their smart phones. They sell your data to many different companies who use it to make money by sending out personalized advertisements.

It’s a different story if you are buying products from these ads knowing that your private data isn’t really “private,” but most consumers don’t know that their personal information is collected and sold.

Nowadays people operate under the illusion that they are interconnected through technologies like Facebook.

However, there is a study that found that aloneness amongst teenagers is at an all-time high.

You can see groups of teenagers sitting in a room, all having their devices in their hands and texting each other. Technology has actually become a barrier to simple human relationships.

These technological developments continue to damage our local communities.

A century ago, for example, you couldn’t have moved in to a new town or country and survived there if you didn’t fit in to the local community. However, technology has led people to think they are almighty creatures that don’t need human interaction.

Technology has the power to connect, but it also has power to disconnect that we weren’t aware of.

Will People Become Roboticized?

The increasing worship of AI may result in the adoption of technology into our bodies. This will create a horrific state. The result will be the creation of a dichotomy in which people without embedded technology, who deem it inappropriate for their souls, will be disadvantaged in a world where intelligence and strength are prized.

Let’s say your boss tells you to become an expert on World War II.

One person gets a brain implant to input all the information about WWII and becomes an expert overnight. You, on the other hand, reject the brain implant because it goes against your beliefs. Who will the boss pick?

In a technological society, it’s a survival instinct to implant technology inside your body to stay competitive. The only ones that reject it will be religious believers who deem it inappropriate for their souls.

As more and more people worship technology, there is a danger that people with faith will become a minority.

It All Comes Down to Humanity’s Choice

As a Christian myself, I fear that technology is the biggest distraction separating you from God.

I have been raised as a Christian my whole life and I only recently deepened my understanding of sin.

Sin is anything that separates you from God. If technology distracts us from deepening our faith and creates a barrier to loving others, it is an absolute sin.

Then how can we preserve our humanity as technology keeps advancing?

It all comes down to humanity’s choice. Companies exist to make a profit, so it’s natural that they create products for people who worship tech. It is wrong to fully blame society and corporations for creating a materialistic society and destroying our communities.

It will all come down to what the human heart values and selects in the end.

(Interviewed)