1.  Humanity at a Crossroads

We humans of Earth,
deeply troubled by imminent and mounting threats

• • to the survival of the human species, and
  • to the survival of our solitary home in the vastness of space;

aware of accelerating dangers now of pandemics, environmental destruction, nuclear war, intercontinental conflict – along with other threats to human destiny as yet unforeseen, are hereby agreed and determined that the advent of powerful A.I. be used for good and not for evil.

2. Consciousness

The mission and destiny of humankind is not known to individual humans. “Why are we here?” is answered by speculation, a mixture of science and faith. Without certainty, the role of “consciousness” is central. Are computers that provide A.I. conscious?

In relation to the above question we must ask what we ourselves mean by “conscious”. Planet Earth is full of conscious “things”. Animals, sea life, birds and insects are conscious. So also are trees, plants and flowers: every growing thing. A sunflower, conscious of the sun, turns its head to face and absorb sunlight. A tree may grow moss on only one side of its trunk, protecting it from harsh weather. Other earthly “things” may be conscious.

So what is our role as humans? It is agreed that humans must improve their sense of responsibility for all things conscious – humankind thus exerting a Benevolent Dominion over nature, protecting, in a loving or caring manner, all things conscious, to the best of its ability.
A relevant question is: do “things” in nature (whether an animal or a tree) have an awareness of ethics? A corollary question could then be: is it possible for a human to act unethically while something in nature (say, a tree) acts “correctly”, acting as a tree is supposed to act?

If so, does this then make the tree “superior” to the human? More moral? If that is so, then from where do we humans derive our “superiority”, the right to exercise our
Benevolent Dominion?

The truth is that we humans cannot produce some law or document that “proves” our entitlement to and responsibility for “taking care of nature”. The best humans can do is to cite the Bible or similar document, from any culture or background, urging humanity to exercise responsibility over all of nature.

In short, any discussion of protecting and nurturing our planetary home inevitably and immediately raises the matters of spirituality and ethics: the key issues of good and evil.