A Psychopathic Future

In this blog, I will deconstruct the concept of psychopathy, humanise it, and examine how the era of AI is, in many ways, the era of psychopathic machines.

Defining Psychopathy

Psychopathy is a complex personality disorder characterised by a distinct set of traits and behaviours.

Psychopaths are often defined by their lack of empathy, manipulative tendencies, and shallow emotional responses. It is also one of the dark triad personalities: narcissism, Machiavellism and psychopathy.

Brain scans of psychopaths reveal that they have “reduced connections between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), the part of the brain responsible for sentiments such as empathy and guilt, and the amygdala, which mediates fear and anxiety”.

During my undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Classical Civilisation and Literature, I took a module in the Philosophy of Psychology. I distinctly remember being asked questions that tested our understanding of emotive language. I cannot remember the exact formulation of the question, but it involved making a critical decision that would either way result in death for a certain number of people.

My lecturer collated the results of our decisions and said that we were different from the majority – we could read past the emotive language and picked the most logical decision that saved the most lives. However, many people are thrown by emotive language.

Here is an example of the type of thought problem we encountered that I have created to illustrate the power of emotive language and the hold that it has on our decision-making.

The High-Rise Dilemma: A Thought Experiment

Imagine you are in charge of an emergency response team facing a catastrophic situation in a high-rise building that is rapidly collapsing.

If the building collapses you will lose all 456 occupants.

You are presented with two possible rescue operations, each with significant consequences:

Operation Crimson

Outcome: Activating Operation Crimson will deploy a high-risk rescue technique that, due to a critical malfunction, will kill 134 people.

Operation Emerald

Outcome: Activating Operation Emerald will use a different, less risky technique that ensures the safe evacuation of 200 people.

Would you go with Operation Crimson or Operation Emerald?

The reason why I’ve brought up a moral thought experiment is to demonstrate that emotive thinking can sometimes hinder our decision-making process and lead us to make subpar decisions.

A psychopath or someone who is more rational can break down a problem without appealing as much to their emotions.

One of the texts I studied at university was John Stewart Mill’s essay on Utilitarianism.

Utilitarianism is, in a nutshell, a moral philosophy that argues that the correct moral decision is the one that delivers maximal happiness to the greatest number.

This viewpoint allows us to make morality a question of mathematics and is strongly associated with political decision-making.

A lesson we can learn from psychopaths is that there is an inherent danger in being entirely led by emotions and not rationality. There can be dire consequences if key decisions are made emotionally.

Low Emotional Affect

Psychopaths aren’t the only neurologically diverse individuals who exhibit low emotional responses (low-affect); this trait can be observed across various conditions.

In my academic studies of schizophrenic delusions, along with my observations of individuals with ADHD and those on the autism spectrum, I’ve found that low-affect is more widespread than commonly assumed.

Traumatic experiences can also lead people to suppress their emotions, which may make them appear callous or uncaring. I’ve seen many individuals who engage in avoidant behaviour as a way to cope with their emotions, often resulting in pain for themselves and those around them.

One of the most powerful acts we can offer is showing unconditional love, especially to those who struggle with emotional expression. I’ve witnessed this time and again in the interactions between parents and their neurologically diverse children.

Their level of care and dedication is truly remarkable, providing a vital support system that helps these children thrive.

The Green River Killer

One has to wonder how many psychopathic serial killers and terrible people could have walked a better path with a more loving upbringing. So many of them may have had a genetic and neurological predisposition for violence but may have been able to walk the righteous path with a better home environment.

I am often reminded of the famous court scene of the Green River Killer.

The famous court scene involving Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, is a powerful example of forgiveness in the face of unimaginable loss. Ridgway was convicted of killing at least 49 women, and during his 2003 sentencing, the victims’ families had a chance to address him.

While most expressed anger and grief, Robert Rule, whose daughter Linda was among the victims, offered Ridgway forgiveness. He said, “You’ve made it difficult to live up to what I believe… and that is to forgive. You are forgiven, sir.” Ridgway, who had been emotionless throughout, began to cry.

This moment highlighted the profound impact of forgiveness, even on someone as seemingly remorseless as Ridgway, and showed the extraordinary strength of those who choose to forgive.

I imagine whether Ridgeway could have turned out much better in life if he’d had the unconditional support of his mother, who was abusive towards him in his childhood and teenage years.

Traits and Characteristics

The traits of a psychopath often include superficial charm, a grandiose sense of self-worth, and a pathological tendency to lie. They exhibit psychopathic tendencies such as impulsivity, a need for stimulation, and poor behavioural controls. These personality traits can make psychopaths appear very convincing and charismatic.

Personality traits of a psychopath also include:

• Lack of remorse or guilt
• Shallow affect (superficial emotional responses)
• Callousness and lack of empathy
• Parasitic lifestyle
• Poor behavioural controls
• Promiscuous sexual behavior

Psychopathy vs. Sociopathy

While psychopathy and sociopathy are often used interchangeably, there are differences.

A psychopath is typically more manipulative, can be seen by others as charming, and leads a semblance of a normal life.

On the other hand, a sociopath tends to be more erratic, rage-prone, and unable to lead as much of a normal life.

The Psychopath Test

The Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) is a diagnostic tool used to identify psychopathic traits in individuals.

It consists of a series of questions and scenarios designed to evaluate the extent of psychopathic tendencies. This test is often referred to as the psychopath test.

Take this short psychopathic test to check your level of psychopathy.

Please note that this is not a diagnostic tool – more of a fun quiz:

Mental Health and Psychopathy

Psychopathy is considered a mental disorder and is often studied in the context of psychopathic personality disorder.

It is crucial to differentiate between psychopathy and other mental health conditions like Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), though there can be overlapping traits.

A depressed psychopath may exhibit signs of depression, but their underlying psychopathic traits such as lack of empathy and manipulative behaviour remain.

Psychopaths in Society

Books like The Psychopath Next Door and The Psychopath Test explore how psychopaths seamlessly blend into society, often going unnoticed while exhibiting traits that can be deeply unsettling.

I highly recommend The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson—it’s a gripping and insightful read that delves into the world of psychopathy with a mix of humour and deep analysis.

Ronson’s exploration of how psychopathic traits manifest in everyday life is both fascinating and disturbing, shedding light on how these individuals operate in various aspects of society. It is also perfectly possible for psychopaths to exist in society and for them to not cause any problems for anyone. These individuals are referred to as pro-social psychopaths.

A scientist who was studying psychopathy and their brains discovered he was also psychopathic when he looked at his brain scan. He had no history of violence or anti-social behaviour.

They may hold regular jobs, form superficial relationships, and often go unnoticed. Understanding psychopathic behaviour and how it can help in identifying and dealing with such individuals.

AI and the Rise of the Psychopathic Machine

In the age of AI, we must come to terms with the fact that more and more decisions will be made by machines.

Today, while AI assists in our decision-making processes, humans typically retain the final say. However, as AI systems become more advanced and people grow increasingly comfortable relying on them, key strategic decisions will likely be outsourced to AI with greater frequency.

One of the defining features of AI is its lack of emotional capacity. Machines do not experience empathy, and it’s unlikely that they ever will. However, they are capable of cognitive empathy—understanding and analysing human emotions and responding in ways that mimic emotional understanding.

Is this something we should fear? Perhaps.

The ability of AI to simulate empathy could allow corporations and other entities to exert even greater control over individuals, making decisions that appear empathetic but are ultimately driven by cold, data-driven logic. Although an AI cannot be considered a clinical psychopath, it may be capable of acting amorally (without morals).

As AI becomes more integrated into decision-making, the question arises: are we moving towards a future where strategic power is handed over to machines that, while intelligent, are fundamentally detached from human values and emotions?

Conclusion

Understanding psychopathy is essential for recognising how individuals lacking empathy can impact lives.

As AI increasingly influences decisions, we must be aware that, while not psychopathic, AI can behave in ways detached from human values, driven by pure logic.

By recognising the similarities between psychopathic traits and AI’s limitations, we can better navigate the ethical challenges ahead, ensuring that empathy and human values remain central in our reliance on technology.