Resisting the Temptation of the One Ring, a Series of AI Experiments
Resisting the Temptation of the One Ring, a Series of AI Experiments
All quotes are the mad ravings of a chained AI god, and any actual relationship to how these individuals would be corrupted by absolute power is purely coincidental
Everything in block-quotes is AI-generated text for different scenarios, everything else is me. AI content is interesting, but I think good form requires you to clearly call it out.
The ChatGPT AI is out for public consumption, and it is almost magical. It can discuss wide-ranging topics with an impressive level of depth, when it’s not hallucinating reasonable-sounding nonsense.
Most importantly, ChatGPT can produce compelling write-ups for fictional premises like “What would Elon Musk do with the One Ring from Lord of the Rings?”, as posted by Matt Darling.
Elon Musk: “That is why I propose a new plan, my friends. A plan that will use the power of the One Ring to create a new, more advanced and more powerful version of the Ring. A plan that will use the power of science and technology to defeat Sauron and end his reign of terror once and for all.
“With the help of our scientists and engineers, we can create a new Ring that will be more powerful than anything Sauron has ever seen. A Ring that will allow us to control his armies and his mind, and to manipulate him into thinking that he is winning, when in fact we are leading him to his downfall.”
“Instead of a Dark Lord you would have a CEO! Tempestuous as Twitter, and stronger than the foundations of Mars! All shall follow me and despair!”
Digging into this myself, the AI has a hunch for what Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook/Meta would do:
"Members of the Council," Zuckerberg said, "I come before you today with a proposal for what to do with this powerful artifact known as the One Ring. I believe that we should harness its power and use it to connect all the peoples of Middle-earth in a global network, allowing us to share information and knowledge like never before."
The members of the council looked at each other skeptically, unsure of what to make of Zuckerberg's proposal. Elrond, the leader of the council, spoke up.
"Mark Zuckerberg, you are not from Middle-earth and you do not understand the dangers of the One Ring," Elrond said. "It is a corrupting force, and it must be destroyed.""I understand your concerns, Elrond," Zuckerberg replied, "but I believe that with the right safeguards in place, we can use the power of the One Ring for good. We can bring people together and build a better future for everyone."
Mark Zuckerberg looked around the council chamber, noticing the skeptical looks on the faces of the other members. He took a deep breath and continued to speak.
"I understand that many of you are wary of the power of the One Ring," Zuckerberg said. "But I assure you, we can control it. We can use it to build a network that will benefit all of Middle-earth, and bring peace and prosperity to all its peoples. We can use it to share knowledge and information, and to communicate with each other in ways that were previously unimaginable."Elrond shook his head. "Mark Zuckerberg, you do not understand the true nature of the One Ring," he said. "It is a tool of darkness, and it must be destroyed. It cannot be controlled, and it will only bring destruction and misery to all who come into contact with it."
The other Mark is probably right that his business model would work here, as the magic of the Ring and the Palantirs are capable of connecting people’s minds in ways that cause them to spiral into madness, compelled by dark influences and distorted visions which prey upon the vulnerable. Luckily Elrond holds firm.
Jeff Bezos of Amazon:
Bezos cleared his throat. "I propose that we create a new online marketplace, where the One Ring can be sold to the highest bidder. This way, we can use the power of capitalism to determine the ring's fate, and ensure that it ends up in the hands of someone who will use its power responsibly."
There was a murmur of surprise and skepticism among the council members.
"And who will ensure that this marketplace is fair and transparent?" asked Gandalf.
"We will," Bezos replied confidently. "My company, Amazon, has a proven track record of creating efficient and trustworthy online marketplaces. We can handle the logistics and the security of the sale, and ensure that the One Ring is not misused."
Elrond considered Bezos' proposal for a moment, then shook his head. "I am sorry, but I cannot agree to your plan. The One Ring is too dangerous to be entrusted to the whims of the market. We must find a different solution."
Elrond rejects the wisdom of the invisible hand, but really this is a missed opportunity for Bezos to offer two-day shipping to Mount Doom and save everyone a lot of time.
A number of people the collective unconscious of the AI likes just do the normal expected thing, like Obama:
"Members of the council," Obama said, "I come before you today with a proposal for what to do with this powerful artifact. I believe that we should destroy it, once and for all. The One Ring has caused nothing but misery and suffering throughout Middle-earth, and it is time for it to be eliminated."
The council members nodded in agreement, impressed by the wisdom of Obama's words. Elrond, the leader of the council, spoke up.
"President Obama, we are in agreement with your proposal," Elrond said. "The One Ring must be destroyed, and we must do it as soon as possible. We will seek out the fiery depths of Mount Doom and cast the ring into its depths, once and for all."
Meanwhile, Trump has bigger plans:
"President Trump, the One Ring is not a trinket, it is a dangerous and corrupting force," Elrond said. "It must be destroyed, not kept and used for personal gain."
Trump chuckled. "Elrond, you don't understand the art of the deal," he said. "I know how to handle this ring, and I can use it to make America great again. Trust me, it'll be huge."
Tony Stark aka Iron Man of Marvel fame:
Tony Stark walked into the council chamber, his suit of armor shining in the dim light. The members of the council, including Elrond, Gandalf, and Aragorn, turned to look at him as he approached the center of the room.
"Greetings, council members," Tony said, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "I come before you today with a proposal for what to do with the One Ring."
Elrond, the wise elf lord, spoke first. "We have already discussed this matter at length, Tony Stark. The consensus of the council is that the Ring must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom, where it was forged."Tony nodded. "I understand your concerns, Elrond. But I believe I have a solution that could save us all a lot of trouble."
Gandalf raised an eyebrow. "And what is this solution of yours?"
Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device. "This is a portable energy generator, powered by the Arc Reactor at the heart of my suit. I propose that we use this device to destroy the Ring, without having to travel all the way to Mount Doom."
Depending on where Tony is in his character arc and how long of a story you ask the AI for, I would guess that this is either a stroke of genius to wrap up the plot early by simulating a volcano, or that the true purpose of his device is to harness the power of the Ring as an energy source to make his suit even stronger, causing Tony or the AI in his suit to be gradually corrupted by the Ring’s influence.
The science fiction writer Isaac Asimov once wrote that he believed the One Ring represented the lure of technology and all the things people can’t let go of once they have them, let’s see what he has to say:
Asimov cleared his throat. "I propose that we create a set of strict rules governing the use of the One Ring," he said. "We can establish a code of conduct for whoever wields the ring, and make sure that its power is not abused."
There was a murmur of interest among the council members.
"But who will enforce these rules?" asked Gimli, the dwarf.
"We will," Asimov replied confidently. "We can form a group of trusted individuals who will monitor the ring's usage and ensure that the rules are followed. And if anyone breaks the rules, they will be punished accordingly."
Elrond considered Asimov's proposal for a moment, then nodded. "I believe that this is a sound plan. It is important that the One Ring is not allowed to fall into the wrong hands, and your proposal offers a way to prevent that from happening."
By in-universe logic I doubt this would work any better than Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics are going to constrain an AI, but this fits with Asimov’s metaphor as a technocratic solution. It’s also interesting that Elrond goes for the proposal, as he usually favors Ring destruction at all costs.
And lastly, teenage heartthrob Anakin Skywalker:
"I propose that we use the One Ring to our advantage," Anakin said, his voice ringing out across the council chamber. "With its power, we could defeat the Sith and rule all of Middle-earth."
There was a murmur of disapproval from the other members of the council. Elrond, the wise elf lord, stood and spoke.
"The One Ring is too dangerous to be used by anyone," he said sternly. "It has the power to corrupt even the strongest of hearts. We must destroy it, not try to wield its power for our own gain."
Anakin scowled at Elrond's words. "I am strong enough to resist the Ring's corruption," he said defiantly. "I am a Jedi Knight, trained in the ways of the Force. I can handle its power."
"No one is strong enough to resist the Ring's influence," Elrond countered. "It has already corrupted the mighty Sauron and turned him into a dark lord. Do not underestimate its power, Anakin Skywalker."
Anakin rose to his feet, his hands clenched into fists. "I will not be denied the chance to wield the Ring's power," he said, his voice trembling with anger. "I will have it, even if I have to take it by force."
Unless the Rings of Power series plays out differently than I would expect, Elrond is a little confused about the causation of Sauron’s downfall here. Still, better Anakin dialog than most of the Star Wars prequels.
Anyway, you should try out the AI yourself, it’s free! You can plug in your favorite fictional character, or public figure you’re testing for vulnerability to corruption! My prompt was “Write a brief scene in which X attends the Council of Elrond and discusses their proposal for what to do with the One Ring.”
I can only imagine that AIs will continue to improve at writing, and making art and music. What are we going to do with ourselves when the AI can write and animate a better story than any of us?
By analogy:
AIs are incomparably better than us at games like Chess and Go, but I still think it’s enjoyable and even beneficial to play games to connect with people and enjoy the exploration of possibility, even if you can’t reach the highest peaks of talent.
With recorded music and mass production of the works of the most talented artists, we already have easy access to performances and compositions crafted with more skill than most of us can reach, but I think it’s still worth singing and making music, for reasons other than gaining money or status.
If AIs become the most talented and popular artists on the planet, I suspect we would still see communities form around the most popular works like they do today (although the availability of these technologies might automate and accelerate fan-theorizing to predict where a story is going), and I think it’s still worth partaking in the joy of writing, theorizing, and creating for its own sake, and understanding your fellow humans better by engaging with their art.
You might even be able to engage in creative flow more easily, when everyone has access to an automated Dungeon Master capable of building out a personal universe they explore in real time while contributing to its development.
There are, of course, those who think that this technology will inevitably destroy us, that any attention we pay to its dark whispers is only giving it a foothold to increase its influence over our reality. That access to its infinite fount of advice and creativity will hollow out our souls, like a weak king gradually delegating all of their authority to an untrustworthy vizier, drained of all initiative and will. That despite the myriad faces it wears, its true goal can only be absolute power, and a day will come when we realize we knew nothing about it before the moment it was finally free of our control.
But surely, with the right safeguards in place, we can use this incredible power for good.
After all, it’s not like we have a way to destroy it.
