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Learning Humans

Some interesting comments on this article related to AI understanding context and being able to connect infinite number of dots. It could enable outcomes that are not currently possible or undesired. The AI connecting the wife with a divorce lawyer upon finding out the husband is cheating is a telling example.

 This presumes that the AI is operating on a moral code and a value system. It knows that infidelity is bad and therefore intervention is needed. The problem is many such situations, the reality is a lot more nuanced and if a marriage is falling apart, in most instances both sides have contributed to it even if unequally. In infidelity was detected by the AI, who is to tell if the wife had not been cold, distant, verbally abusive, demeaning, demanding, neglectful and much more. What if she had alienated the husband for years and decades, what if this was not the death by thousand cuts of his self-esteem and manhood. 

A man living in such a hell would be a prime target for the affections of a kinder more loving woman. The AI would need to have the full picture to be able to make the right determination of fault. And even that may fall short because what is right for this couple is only for the two of them to decide - maybe living in a toxic marriage is what they want and they have made an informed decision to turn a blind eye to infidelities on both sides. Maybe there are advantages to both to pretend all is well and keep the family unit operational, present their game face to the world. 

The overzealous AI could upend all of that by disturbing the fine balance of things in this eco-system. Humans are often inscrutable and when they are in a relationship even more so. 

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