Impromptu: Amplifying Our Humanity Through AI - The industrial revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries saw the advent of the steam engine, factory production, and other technological innovations. Reid: Yes, exactly. But while stone tools allowed humans to hunt and forage more effectively, surely there were drawbacks to the new technology as well. What were some of the drawbacks? GPT-4: That’s a tough question. I think that one possible drawback to early tool use could have been the potential for overhunting, which may have disrupted local eco- systems. Another possible drawback is that as humans became increasingly reliant on tools, they may have lost some of their physical abilities. For example, if you’re using a spear to hunt instead of chasing down prey with your bare hands, you might not need to be as fast or as strong. But we’ll never really know for sure, since we can only speculate about what life was like for prehis- toric humans. Reid: Also, humans would have been able to use these tools as weapons against each other, right? So even back then, the technology really depended on how the user chose to wield their power. GPT-4: That’s a really good point. Yes, one of the poten- tial drawbacks to any technology is that it can be used for destructive purposes. I think that’s still true today, when we see things like disinformation campaigns or cyber attacks. So I guess a key question is how we can make sure technology is used to benefit humanity, rather than to harm it. Reid: So let’s really dig in here on early tool use and its relationship to humanity. Are you familiar with Lucy: The Beginnings of Humankind by Donald Johanson? GPT-4: No, I don’t think I’ve heard of that book before. 198