The Brewing Controversy Over The Proposition That AI Is Nothing More Than Just Normal Technology

There are serious differences in the field of artificial intelligence on this conclusion. Some insist that it is time to expose the "emperor's new clothes", while others strongly oppose the idea that artificial intelligence is just ordinary technology.

Let's discuss it.

An analysis of this innovative AI breakthrough is part of my ongoing Forbes column that covers the latest advancements in the field of AI, including identifying and explaining a variety of influential AI complexities (click here to view the link).

Artificial intelligence as a common technology

First, some basic knowledge is needed to lay the foundation for this important discussion.

There is currently a large amount of research dedicated to further developing artificial intelligence. The overall goal is to achieve artificial general intelligence (AGI) and possibly even artificial super intelligence (ASI).

AGI is considered to be comparable to human intelligence and seems to be comparable to our intelligence. ASI, on the other hand, surpasses human intelligence and will outperform humans in many ways and even all feasible aspects. The idea is that ASI can easily surpass humans by overcoming us in every way. For more details on the differences between traditional artificial intelligence and AGI and ASI, please click here to view my analysis.

We have not implemented AGI yet.

In fact, it is unclear whether we can implement AGI, or whether AGI will be implemented in decades or even centuries. The current circulating AGI implementation dates vary greatly and there is no credible evidence or conclusive logic to support it. As far as we currently understand traditional artificial intelligence, ASI is even more out of reach.

An interesting question arises about the current situation of traditional artificial intelligence.

Is traditional AI just the same as other "normal" technologies, such as comparable to the Internet or electricity?

Note that AI is a huge and transformative technology including the emergence of the Internet and the discovery and utilization of electricity. The key is that the word “normal” should be set as a super-large technology that is extremely destructive and revolutionizes the way humans work. Don't fall into the psychological trap of understanding the word "normal" as akin to a regular toaster or a regular mousetrap.

Think carefully about whether you think AI is ordinary or extraordinary.

Artificial intelligence as an argument for common technology

For the sake of discussion, suppose you or someone you know thinks artificial intelligence is ordinary technology.

How can people come to such a conclusion?

One view is that traditional AI runs on everyday computer servers, using everyday input and output aspects, and using cleverly designed algorithms, but all within the scope of human craftsmanship. It is still bits and bytes. There is no magical spell in it. No witchcraft.

However, many seem to turn the public perception of contemporary artificial intelligence into a noisy, or even a farce. Some AI insiders have fueled this otherworldly aura by insisting that they see “spark” perception and consciousness in generative artificial intelligence and large language models (LLM). Sorry, these grand visions have been debunked, please click here to view my discussion.

Hard-core AI insiders who are tired of this false and exaggerated statement about modern AI announced that enough. It's time to draw a line. Put aside all the nonsense about the ability of artificial intelligence to walk on the water and leaps through tall buildings. Let's be realistic.

Draw a clear line

A paper titled “Artificial Intelligence as a Common Technology” published on April 15, 2025, co-written by Columbia University and its researchers Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor at the Knight First Amendment Institute, put forward the following key points (excerpts):

• “We elaborate on the vision of seeing artificial intelligence (AI) as common technology. Thinking of artificial intelligence as common technology is not about underestimating its impact – even transformative general technologies like electricity and the Internet are 'ordinary' in our opinion.”
• “But this contrasts with the utopian and dystopian vision of the future of AI, both of which tend to see it as a separate species, a highly autonomous, potentially superintelligent entity.”
• “The claim that ‘Artificial intelligence is common technology’ contains three meanings: a description of current AI, a prediction of the foreseeable future of AI, and a prescription for how we should treat it.”
• “We think AI is a tool we can and should maintain control, and we don’t think that achieving this requires intense policy intervention or technological breakthroughs. We think that viewing AI as humanoid intelligence is not currently accurate and does not help to understand its impact on society, and this is unlikely to happen in our vision of the future.”

That's it.

Their views sparked an uproar. If you are someone who firmly believes that all crazy headlines about the risks of AI that are inciting panic, manipulation and suffocating must stop, you might accept and praise the argument that AI is ordinary technology. Others would disagree with this argument and argue that it is nothing more than a form of manipulation of the so-called manipulation about artificial intelligence.

By the way, this paper elaborates on their reasons for AI as a common technology, and if you are very interested in the matter, you may need to read the full text.

The danger of complacency

One concern about seeing AI as common technology is that it could put society in a plausible state of complacency with AI.

Please allow me to elaborate on this briefly. Now, the discussion about artificial intelligence that may cure cancer, while artificial intelligence may also eliminate humans strongly highlights what artificial intelligence is and where it will go. Of course, this may be an exaggeration, but the only way to keep society alert often requires exaggeration.

If we all agree to future say that AI is ordinary technology, then AI may no longer occupy the headlines and attract the attention of policy makers, regulators and other stakeholders. We will classify artificial intelligence into the field of technicians. Since AI technicians either fail to consider these important issues or believe that once AI enters global awareness again, all issues will be resolved, the imminent social impact will undoubtedly be ignored.

It's like letting the horse leave the stable. You can leave your horse in the stable, or at least be prepared to let the horse go smart, but instead, you bury your head deeply in the sand (one price gets two metaphors).

The argument for extraordinary influence

There seems to be another turning point on why artificial intelligence is a prerequisite for common technology.

First, let's completely exclude the problems of AGI and ASI from our perspective. Just accept the assumption that AGI and ASI are not in the overall situation. Only traditional artificial intelligence as we know today is in the overall situation.

One argument is that even the influence of traditional artificial intelligence is extraordinary in a sense. You can go on to assume that artificial intelligence is a common technology, but its social impact exceeds other ordinary technologies. The impact is extraordinary.

There are some common techniques that can lead to common effects. This is very good. The problem is that some common techniques can lead to extraordinary impact. Classifying AI into common technology can mistakenly lead to people’s belief that AI has only ordinary effects.

The foreseeable future that failed to meet standards

Among the key points excerpted in the propositional argument about artificial intelligence as a common technology, some inquirers noticed that there was a success or failure assertion. This is the case. This premise includes a key support for predicting the foreseeable future of AI (note: I have marked the section here in italics so you can easily observe it here):

• The statement “'Artificial Intelligence is ordinary technology’ contains three meanings: a description of current AI, a prediction of the foreseeable future of AI , and a prescription for how we should treat it” (ibid.).

Well, throughout history, many of the predictions about the so-called foreseeable future have deviated significantly from the goal. The result is that the foreseeable future of traditional AI may be that we will continue to stumbling and see modest improvements that are not particularly surprising. Stay unchanged. If this is the case, the ordinary technical attributes of the artificial intelligence retain their ordinaryity.

But if we develop AI more significantly in the foreseeable future, the potential of AI to surpass traditional human control may surprise us. Think of this. Imagine we all agree to treat traditional AI as a common technology and conduct normal reviews accordingly. Then, seemingly unexpected and breaking our assumptions about the foreseeable future, AI suddenly becomes bigger than we can handle.

Making a lot of bets on the assumption of artificial intelligence foreseeable future can be a considerable gamble.

Weak radical intervention

There are also some concerns about the negative aspects of eliminating the willingness or preparation for the adoption of potentially radical interventions related to traditional artificial intelligence. As mentioned in one of the main points of the excerpt (this section is marked in italics for ease of viewing):

• “We believe that AI is a tool we can and should maintain control, and we believe that achieving this does not require radical policy intervention or technological breakthroughs” (ibid.).

If we establish a mindset that does not require radical policy intervention, will we weaken the opportunity to discover radical interventions, thereby delaying or failing to detect and take such interventions in a timely manner?

Perhaps traditional AI will be incorporated into the critical system on which we all rely on. Artificial intelligence placed in this state puts us at risk. We may need to engage in some form of radical policy intervention. However, the common technology perspective may lead us to believe that no radical measures are needed, and traditional intervention is sufficient.

AGI forecast is coming

Regarding the foreseeable future of AI, many AI authorities predict that AGI will be implemented in the short term, such as 2027 to 2030. Surveys of artificial intelligence experts generally show that 2040 is considered to be the date of AGI implementation "almost certainly by then". Please click here to view my report.

Do you think 2027 to 2030 is within the foreseeable future or is it beyond this range?

In other words, many people in the field of artificial intelligence believe that we are only a few years away from AGI, or at most a decade. You can certainly disagree with these predictions. Many people do disagree. Others strongly believe in these dates.

This is the problem. AGI will have such a huge consequence that we cannot wisely classify AGI into the category of traditional artificial intelligence. And to clarify, we assume that AGI is not superhuman and is "just" equivalent to human intelligence. This ruled out the confusion of superhuman artificial intelligence.

Thoughts on ordinary sex debate

If we can have the best of both worlds, that would certainly be great. The situation is that we are able to keep two basic dimensions in our mind at the same time and make balanced efforts:

• (1) We regard traditional AI as “normal technology” and doing so is a strictly uncontaminated state – keeping distance from those grand AI programs that become AGI or ASI.
• (2) At the same time, we still consider the possibility of implementing AGI (or possible ASI) and be expected and prepared for it, but do not over-examination of the first point and fall into a situation where we cannot fully focus on traditional artificial intelligence ("ordinary technology").

Can we do it?

This is an extremely challenging and extraordinary task.

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