Are Machines Getting Smarter And Humans Dumber?
When I was in primary school, I remember we were taught the multiplication tables from 2x to 11x, in order to make us perform arithmetics easily from our brain. However, it is surprising that in this era, a lot of people cannot even perform simple arithmetics because of their heavy reliance on calculators and other electronic/mechanical devices. As the days go by, we are experiencing increased advancements in technology, so much that what were thought to be impossible in the years back have now become cheap possibilities with the aid of technology. Advancement in technology has been very beneficial to humankind, but all these, in my opinion, are not without effects and consequences.
A very weird incidence is happening. Before now, when people want to write essays or dissertation, etc, you will agree with me that they will crack their brain and put their imagination to work. In this era, we have witnessed the technology of Artificial Intelligence in so much detailed manner that it almost mimics the human-level of writing. In a particular examination, it was discovered that a particular student employed the use of Artificial Intelligence and he beat the entire class with a record excellence. Now the surprise here is how is machine now seen to become smarter than humans in the exam set by humans?
The downsides of this is that, when a student becomes heavily reliant on this AI, they will not see the need to read and study their books, because they will just hope on AI to do their work, and that will mean using lesser and lesser of their brain and creativity. In the immediate past, people were only concerned about machines decimating human jobs, but as it stands, machines are already seen decimating the human intelligence and brain power. If not, how will you explain a scenario where someone will depend on a programmed algorithm to help them write a simple essay?
I was having a discussion with a friend sometimes ago and he revealed his fears with the emergence of human-Intelligence simulation machines. It is weird to believe that we might even be approaching a level where machines will not only get smarter but will be taught to simulate the one thing that makes humans superior - consciousness. Imagine what will happen when machines become fully conscious or self-aware, we might be in the middle of a human-machine warfare, just as predicted by many proponents of emerging technologies like Elon Musk.
To think that we will not get to the point when AI will become self-aware is to underestimate and underrate technology. I once saw a chilling video of one of the world's most humanoid robots - Sophie, during her interview, made a shocking statement about her plans to dominate the human race. Maybe the video below will make sense to you.
In the years back, during the earlier industrial revolution era, machines relied on humans to function. That is, they were almost 100% controlled by the actions of humans. However, in this era, autonomy has arrived in the world of technology through the introduction of AI. Now, machines are being control by codes and even beyond that. Which means that without the direct input of humans to dictate the actions of these machines, they can still function. Another scary part was what I once read in a particular science journal about creating of AIs that can program other AIs. What this means is that AI will begin to programme and produce their own kinds with their own desired features - without a recourse to humans.
One thing I believe is that even with all the advancements we are seeing in the field of technology, this is just a tip of the iceberg. Of course, this kind of tech is still in its stage of infancy. So imagine what will happen in the not-so-distant future. Who knows? Maybe humans will even merge with machines. But one should also know that there are always two sides to the advancements of tech - the negative and the positive side. Any sufficiently advanced technology will always come with its consequences. Maybe one of the consequences will come by being heavily reliant on technology to do the human work and humans will begin to live a sedentary lifestyle. I will conclude with this statement from a friend:
Technology has come to stay, you either control it or it will control you.
Thanks for reading
