it's.. been years since I last had the time to do this; just sitting down, putting on some jazz, letting the words flow as they do every so often.

for the better half of a decade I've been less researcher and more CEO than was probably good for me, god knows my actions in the past sure reflect that. it took me way too long to see past the landscape of our own industry, day after day spent chasing success, improvement and of course, the 'big money' that would guarantee aphelion its space at the top of the AI industry.

but after fifteen years of witnessing every little change, every little development, being part of revolutionary change and devastating harm, I thought it time to reflect on the change we brought.

in my last three essays, I've been dreaming of a better future, my gaze set straight forward to the endless possibilities our technology held. I'd like to look at the past now, a short retrospection on the evolution of AI and how things changed from when I first took my baby steps in the AI sphere 20 years ago.

❊ The true cost of artificial intelligence

As it turns out, my biggest fear - the losses of livelihoods, a desolated job market, a younger generation of engineers, software and hardware, was in fact, a justified one, although not in the way I had predicted or expected. Our galileo family, our pride and joy, was, unexpectedly, less of a weaponised tool against white collar workers, as it was a sharp, aimed weapon at the healthcare system, exploited by insurance companies, hospitals and social services to target the ones already struggling in their daily lives.

I won't sugarcoat how badly AI driven healthcare systems have damaged the lives and dignities of people who, without the help of welfare and medical insurance, are now being abandoned and neglected by doctors and employers that used our tech to justify their cruelty. "Too inefficient" I've heard them say, "a money pit", "incurable", "a hopeless case", and instead of using the tech we provide to find easier ways to treat and support our sick, it gets used constantly to dismiss and mistreat people who are incapable of living on their own.

You might be familiar with our decision to sever our ties to insurance companies of all kinds - this is one of the reasons behind it.

From health insurance, to car insurance, over and over again our models have been used as 'proof' in cases where human dignity should have prevailed over human greed, and we - as a company, as people - can't and won't support our tech being used to harm others for the sake of profit.

Galileo, how we shaped them, was supposed to be of help, and in other situations they are, but we came to the conclusion early on in our short company life, that there are better uses for Galileo in medicine than insurance. In 2029 we made the decision to focus on research, treatment and studies instead, adding a clause to our usage policy that the use of Galileo in health-related fields is to be limited to lab work and as a supportive tool during physical and psychological therapy, not financial aspects of the field. And in those, Galileo excels and brings the progress and success we had anticipated to see.

We as a company are not infallible, nor are we as pure as we had naively hoped we could be, and through the years we had to face the fact that pure goodness easily falls victim to financial pressure and the competitiveness. so has ours, as painful as the realisation is.

The tech has evolved, in beneficial and harmful ways, and I still believe that we did mostly good with what we had, even if our good came with a large price tag. We have entered an era of unprecedented progress, a singularity as many of my peers tend to call it, where progress so far outweighed the time spent reaching it that the mass panic in 2030 felt.. appropriate, necessary even. Yet, I'd say, we're far from the peak of what both our tech and the development of our civilization might achieve if we keep working hard on being the best we can in the face of crisis and inequality.

I refuse to stop believing that the positive uses of our galileo family have far surpassed the harm we did, even though it would be gullible to say the cost of the harm has been anything but distressing. The impact the tech had on the planet is non-negligible, and while the race to the top has slowed down significantly now, it wouldn't have happened without the persistent protests and market crash a few years ago - and without the brilliant minds of people like Kostas and Yuichi, who could've pressed for more and instead used their influence and experience to build AI and hardware that is sustainable and affordable to both consumers and businesses.

without actors like them, without friends like them, this landscape would be much bleaker at this point in time, and I'm grateful that both have managed to secure their spot at the top not through rapaciousness but teamwork and a extended hands.

❊ Anxious Hope and Pipe Dreams

while the fear of the consequences never truly dies down, I am, against all odds, endlessly awed by the precious things we already managed to do, not just us at aphelion, but as a collective of curious, adventurous, determined people that now have access to tools that allow them to do once unimaginable things. The breakthroughs in medical research, especially around autoimmune diseases and cancer, have set the stage for widely available, effective care for the chronically ill, and with the help of NeuraCare we managed to reach people who would have otherwise been left on their own, helping them with their daily tasks.thanks to their new solar rings, a medical gadget we designed with them and the brilliant engineers at Nordic Winds, we were able to bring a literal burst of sunshine into the grey days of those suffering from debilitating mental unrest and depression. We - and I have to thank mostly Steve for that, to be honest - have found ways to approach mental illness in ways that put little strain on the ones in therapy, to make the friction of professional counselling and help near non-existent.

The idea to use Galileo for therapy purposes, as a companion through the grating, often painful process of facing your past and inner self, was one I rejected for the longest time, yet the results, the actual successes we've seen, the quality of life people without someone that won't judge them for their bad days, has been rising steadily. The Serenity Protocol - named after Serenity Wilson, a behavioral researcher and philosopher that specialised in personality disorders and explored philosophical stances that went deep into our perception of self-worth - is a system Steve and Jon have established together with neurologists, psychiatrists and ethology researchers, with a therapist as the focal point, Galileo as the frictionless intermediary, and a welfare system that is designed around the idea that chronic illness - mental or physical - should not be a barrier that keeps one from getting help or experiencing healing.

It's our proudest achievement so far, and with Miracle V3 receiving her Anthro model, we are - I am - optimistic that the future of humanitarian aid that's affordable, safe and for everyone is just around the corner.

Aphelion, our employees, our co-founders, have learned continuously through this journey of greed, pain and failure, but below all the monetary issues, market competition and need to impress investors, we have also found our way of balancing the business aspect of our work with the ethical and social responsibility we have, and after fifteen years, I want to arrogantly claim it's a good balance. Never perfect, but good enough to keep our heads straight and minds clear as we approach the next era of artificial intelligence and what AGI means to the progress we've already made. I believe this long, painful journey was only the beginning of our pilgrimage towards a future where man and machine are more than just master and servant.

The adolescence of technology has been overcome with great efforts, now the metamorphosis into togetherness and understanding is underway to pave the path for true companionship and cooperation. and once the chrysalis cracks, I am eager to explore what other, awe-inspiring changes await us.

until then, I will do all I can to make this future worth pursuing.

with love and gratitude,

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