Summary

I’ve spent most of my life thinking that 8 billion humans was a huge number, but this week I realized we are just a tiny fraction of the sentient life on Earth. From the "weird" world of insect farming to the way AI could actually save wild animals, I’m starting to see a side of technology I never paid attention to before. This post is a quick look at why we should care about the "ignored" trillions, inspired by Max Taylor's research.

Background

It’s easy to spend all your time building tools for people and measuring success by how much it helps "everyone." But this week, I realized that "everyone" usually just means humans. If we are building the future of intelligence, we can't ignore the trillions of other sentient beings who are actually the majority on this planet.

1. The numbers are hard to wrap your head around

The biggest "aha" moment for me was looking at the actual numbers. We have 8 billion humans, which feels like a lot. But then you look at the 40 billion farmed land animals, the 230 billion shrimps, or the literally quadrillions of birds and mammals in the wild.

• We are a tiny minority on this planet.
• Most of the "well-being" or "suffering" happening right now isn't human-centric at all.

• If AI shifts the world even a little bit, it’s going to hit these trillions of animals the hardest. 

  Realizing that humans are outnumbered by such a massive margin makes me think we need to seriously rethink who we are building AI for.

2. Insect farming for computer chips?

I also found out about something I never knew existed: insect farming for "biomaterials." There are companies using black soldier flies to create materials for semiconductors (the stuff inside our computers).

• It’s a strange crossover between biology and tech that sounds like science fiction.
• It made me realize that as tech advances, we’re finding even more "efficient" ways to use small sentient beings.

• If we aren't careful, we’re going to scale up these systems before we even stop to ask if it’s okay. 

  The idea that the tech I use every day might be physically built out of farmed sentient beings is a huge reminder of how interconnected our lives are with animals.

3. It’s not all bad news

Even though the risks are scary, I was actually surprised by how AI could be a force for good. We’re already seeing AI being used to track wildfires (which saves countless wild animals) or to monitor the health of animals in the wild without bothering them.

• AI can help us "see" and "hear" animals in ways we never could before.
• We can use data to predict when an animal is in pain or when an ecosystem is failing.

• It’s a chance for us to use our "superpower" (technology) to help those who can't ask for it. 

  Seeing the potential for AI to act as a protector for the wild gives me hope that we can steer this revolution in a better direction.

Closing thoughts

If you’ve only ever thought about AI in terms of human jobs or productivity, I really recommend reading the original post by Max Taylor. It’s an eye-opener that moves past the usual talk and makes you think about what a "fair" future actually looks like for every sentient being. You can find the full article here: What AI could mean for animals.

Questions for you

• Did you know there were quadrillions of wild animals compared to our 8 billion? How does that change how you think about "global issues"?
• If you could use your skills to help one specific non-human species, which one would it be and why?