Why do people always jump from one extreme to another?

This is actually a common human tendency called dichotomous thinking or black-and-white thinking. People often frame issues in two opposing extremes ignoring the middle ground, the nuance, or the complexity.

On this topic, we must first address the issue of politics. Where people are either left or right or liberal or conservative. When the solution that is best for everyone is in the center. When reporting on politics the extremes are what get the clicks or views. Which is what everyone is truly after. Which is why this debate will never end. Every issue is framed as us vs them or all good vs all evil.

Problem-solving and personal assessments are two other areas where this happens. Assuming a solution must be either a total overhaul or nothing at all or judging a person or event as a complete success or a total failure.

Artificial Intelligence is another especially sharp case of dichotomous thinking. Let’s first discuss the utopian extreme (AI as savior). This level of thinking focuses on the transformative and revolutionary benefits of AI. For example medical breakthroughs, productivity, efficiency, and solving grand challenges. AI’s contributions to the medical field include accelerating drug discoveries, improving diagnostics, and personalizing treatment plans. As far as productivity goes AI can automate mundane and repetitive tasks. That would free up humans for higher-level, creative, and complex work. AI could solve some of our greatest challenges. It could optimize global energy grids and manage logistics to end world hunger. This narrative is appealing because it’s inspiring and optimistic. It offers hope that technology can solve humanity’s biggest, most intractable problems. Let’s face it we all could use a little hope.

Now let’s dive into the dystopian extreme (AI as destroyer) This extreme view focuses on the existential and immediate risks associated with advanced AI. Job displacement is a concern in this narrative. A future filled with mass unemployment as AI replaces workers across numerous sectors. What’s it going to do is force people to do what people have done since the dawn of time adapt and survive. Next, we have the existential risk or the takeover. The fear of an Artificial General Intelligence becoming uncontrollable, viewing humanity as a threat, and actively working to eliminate it. Then there is the fear of bias and misuse. AI systems trained on biased data perpetuate and amplify societal prejudices. That last one right there could be a problem.

The appeal of this narrative is gripping and cautionary. It taps into deep-seated fears about losing control and the unknown consequences of creating something smarter than ourselves. Let’s face it, we, the people, lost control to the government long ago. The reality is, as always, lies in the vast, messy middle ground, where most of the actual work and policy needs to happen.

In closing, I have just one question. Will people ever be able to let go of their strongest beliefs and do what’s best for everyone?