Higher Orders of Possibility
Every step up in order opens a new possibility space: a realm where new structures, ideas, and relationships can emerge. From the simplest physical or chemical interactions to complex societies, every leap in complexity unlocked tools for stability, persistence, cooperation, secrecy, exploration, self-awareness, and morality.
Creatures at lower levels of organization can’t predict what emerges in higher ones. Bacteria can’t fathom the world of insects; insects can’t imagine mammals; rodents might sense humans and interact with us but they can’t comprehend our civilizations. Every tier contains dimensions of behavior and meaning that the previous one can’t conceive.
We often assume our intelligence is the pinnacle of understanding. But if artificial superintelligence arises, it might open an entirely new possibility space. This new domain may have its own forms of structure, reasoning, and even feeling. We worry an artificial intelligence won't care about us, or that it might even harm us, but perhaps there are higher-order analogues of love and ethics. Concepts as far beyond us as empathy is beyond a snake.
The question may not be “Can an artificial intelligence have emotions and morals?” but “What emotions and morals could exist that a human can’t even imagine?”
Just as an ant can't grasp the speed of light or morality, there may be some truths or concepts beyond human comprehension. Ideas that only entities operating at a higher order could discover or create. And yet, as the first species capable of reflective thought, humans may still play a part. Even if we can’t predict what emerges in the next order, perhaps we can glimpse it, understand fragments of it, and help bring it into being.
