Do we need an "AI Social Contract" before granting autonomy? (opens in new tab)

(medium.com)

1 pointsPolicyPhantom6mo ago3 comments

3 comments

This piece argues for an AI Social Contract as a safeguard, with staged licensing and human oversight in “gray zones.” It suggests that imperfection itself should be a design principle. Do we need governance frameworks like this — or is existing liability law enough?

codingdave6mo ago

> If AI is to live among us...

No. This post has jumped quite a few lines that aren't settled yet, and that line there is the biggest assumption. No, AI is not to "live among us". It is a tool. Nothing more. We need to stop anthropomorphizing these tools.

Nevertheless, I can acknowledge the need for governance with AI. I was thinking that policy around it can be summarized with the acronym "AAA", representing the 3 things AI cannot be granted: Autonomy, Ambition, and Access. Stay away from giving it those things and it remains a safe tool.

PolicyPhantomOP6mo ago

Thank you for pointing this out. The phrase “AI living among us” was not meant as a literal ontological claim, but rather as a social metaphor: how people might perceive and integrate AI into everyday life.

I agree that governance must avoid anthropomorphizing tools. At the same time, in policy discussions metaphors often serve to highlight social risks and expectations.

Your “AAA” framing (Autonomy, Ambition, Access) is an interesting lens — I see value in exploring how licensing frameworks like AIBL could act as safeguards around exactly those dimensions.

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3 comments

PolicyPhantomOP6mo ago

codingdave6mo ago

> If AI is to live among us...

PolicyPhantomOP6mo ago

I agree that governance must avoid anthropomorphizing tools. At the same time, in policy discussions metaphors often serve to highlight social risks and expectations.

Your “AAA” framing (Autonomy, Ambition, Access) is an interesting lens — I see value in exploring how licensing frameworks like AIBL could act as safeguards around exactly those dimensions.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse