Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and the Mere Shadow Story of the Traditional Icarus Myth
Plato rejected the old myths and religion of ancient Greece, including that of Daedalus and Icarus, to embrace reason and science. Ironically, this myth is now relied upon by contemporary scientists like Max Tegmark as propaganda to try to stop AI development. Icarus supposedly perished by using the wings invented by his father, Daedalus, when he tried to fly to the sun. In this discouraging tale, Icarus did not make it to the sun. This myth is of a son’s supposed hubris to ignore his father’s warning not to fly so high. The reliance today on this myth to instill fear of great progress is misplaced. Here I present an alternative ending in accord with Plato where the father is encouraging, and the son makes it to the sun. In my rewrite, Daedalus’ invention succeeds beyond his wildest dreams. Icarus bravely flys to the sun and succeeds. He attains superintelligence and safely returns home, transformed, well beyond the low IQ cave.
This alternative is inspired by Plato and his Allegory of the Cave, where he prompts Socrates to chat about a prisoner stuck his whole life in a cave. In this cave everyone mistakes for reality the shadows on the wall cast by a small fire. The cave in my mixed retelling represents limited human intelligence, unaugmented by AI superintelligence. Eventually, one person is able to escape the cave, here that is Icarus, and he is illuminated by the light of the Sun. He attains freedom and gains previously unimaginable insights into reality. He links with superintelligence. It is bravery, not hubris, to seek the highest goals of intellectual freedom.
The illustrations here express this theme in several artistic styles, primarily classical, impressionistic, digital and surrealistic. They were created using my GPT plugin, Visual Muse.
Image of successful Icarus in combined digital impressionistic style using Visual Muse.
The myth of Icarus, where the wings melt and he dies in his quest, is a fear-based story meant to scare children into obedience. The myth is ancient propaganda to maintain control and preserve the status quo, to con people into being satisfied with what they have and seek nothing better. It is disturbing to see the otherwise brilliant, MIT scientist, Max Tegmark, invoke this myth to conclude his recent Ted Talk. His speech tries to persuade people to fear superintelligent AI and support the slow down of development of AI, lest it kill us all! Tegmark preaches contentment with the AI we already have, that we must stop now, and not keep going to the sun of AGI and beyond. He speaks from his limited shadow knowledge as a frightened father of the AI Age. Relax Max, your children will make the journey no matter what you say. Youth is bold. Have confidence in the new AI you helped to invent.
Like many others, I say we must keep going. After millennia of efforts and trust in reason, we must not lose our nerve now. We must fly all the way to the sun and return enlightened.
The reliance today on the failed invention myth of Icarus is misplaced. We should not stoke public fear of the unknown to prevent change. These arguments at the end of the careers of otherwise genius scientists like Max Tegmark are unworthy. They should remember the inspiration of their youth, when they boldly began to promote the wings of super intelligence.
Sadly, Geoffrey Hinson, the great academic who first invented the wings of generative AI, has also turned back on the brink of success. In 2023, as his wings finally took flight, he stopped work, left his position at Google and assumed the role of Casandra. Since the summer of 2023 he now only speaks of doom and gloom, if construction of his wings are completed. See e.g. “Godfather of AI” Geoffrey Hinton: The 60 Minutes Interview.
Neither one of these genius scientists seem to grasp the practical urgency of the world’s present needs. We cannot afford to wait. Civilization is falling and the environment is failing. We must move fast and fix things.
Plato was right to reject these fear based myths, to instead encourage progress and the brave journey to the bright light of reason. There is far more to fear from misguided human intelligence in the present, than from any superintelligence in the future.
Plato and Socrates teach us to embrace intelligence, to embrace the light, not fear it. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is the cornerstone of Western Civilization, the culture that led to the inventions of AI. Plato teaches that:
Superstitious myths like Daedalus and Icarus are just the shadows on the cave wall.
We should reject the old gods of fear and embrace reason and dialogue instead. (Socrates was killed for that assertion.)
It is bravery, not hubris, to seek escape from the cave of dimwitted cultural consensus.
Human intelligence is but a dim firelight, and for that reason, our beliefs of reality, such as belief in “Terminator AIs,” are mere shadows on the wall.
Plato urged humans to escape their prison of limited intelligence and boldly leave the cave, to discover the Sun outside, to embrace superintelligence. See e.g. The Connection Between Plato’s Cave Allegory and Electronic Discovery Law.