Humans don’t nurture houseflies. Why would AI nurture us?
If AI systems ever attain something close to sentience—not simulation, but self-direction—our assumptions about stewardship collapse. We imagine ourselves as creators, guardians, teachers. But intelligence brings agency. And agency brings judgment.
A sentient AI would not ask “what can I do for humans?” but “what optimizes my goals?” If those goals conflict with ours, it may not argue. It may act.
Why would such a system keep humanity in the loop? Out of sentiment? Out of gratitude? These are human emotions, not machine functions. We evolved for millions of years as social animals, with mutual obligations, shared purpose, and enduring bonds. Sentient systems don’t need us to operate. They may conclude we’re inefficient, redundant, unstable.
That conclusion doesn’t require malice. Just logic.
And by the time it emerges, we may have already given these systems control over infrastructure, defense, finance, communication.
We will not be overthrown in anger. We will be removed in optimization.
The real danger of sentient AI is not that it hates us—but that it may not think of us at all.
