"AI as Normal Technology": A Vision of AI as Ordinary Technology

A paper of over 15,000 words proposes that artificial intelligence should be understood as "normal technology," rather than a superintelligent entity similar to humans with high autonomy, and argues that no radical policy intervention or technological breakthrough is needed to maintain human control over it. The framework emphasizes the relationship between technology and society, rejects technological determinism, and points out that transformative economic and social impacts will occur slowly—the key lies in distinguishing AI methods, AI applications, and AI adoption, which operate on different timescales. The paper unfolds in four parts: the increasing portion of human work in the human-machine division of labor becoming "AI control," reassessing risks from four perspectives—accidents, arms races, misuse, and alignment failure—and AI policy recommendations that prioritize reducing uncertainty as the primary goal and address catastrophic risks with resilience.