Has ChatGPT Truly Made Us Happier? An Honest Look, By Victor Bourgois

AI Increase Efficiency, But Does It Make Us Happier?

In a world rapidly advancing towards total digitalization, we find ourselves immersed in what many experts have termed the fourth industrial revolution. Artificial intelligence (AI) has not only transformed entire industries but also redefined the limits of what is possible. However, this technological progress raises crucial questions: 1) Is AI increasing our day-to-day happiness? and 2) Are we humans increasing our wisdom at the same pace as AI is developing? This last question seems crucial to me because I personally believe that great intelligence without the development of great wisdom to guide it has led, as we have seen throughout human history, to tremendously dark episodes from which we are still dragging consequences.

Disconnection Between Technological Progress and Human Happiness

Contrary to what might be expected, technological advances have not led to a proportional increase in our happiness. Despite the comfort and efficiency that technology brings to our lives in 2024, we face higher levels of anxiety and stress than ever before. This technological paradox suggests that while our external lives are being simplified, our internal lives may be becoming more complex. The bombardment of information and perpetual comparison through digital platforms can erode our mental health, leading to feelings of inadequacy and generalized anxiety.

The Role of Wisdom in the Digital Age

Wisdom in the digital age becomes an indispensable tool for navigating the challenges presented by AI. According to the Royal Spanish Academy, wisdom is defined as “the quality of being wise, characterized by deep knowledge, secure judgment, and prudent and timely advice.” It’s not just about accumulating technological knowledge or intelligence but knowing how to apply that intelligence and knowledge ethically and responsibly. Wisdom involves understanding the long-term outcomes of our actions and deciding accordingly for the common good. It’s important to highlight that wisdom is an exclusively human resource, a faculty that machines, even the most advanced ones with artificial intelligence, cannot possess to this day.

Humans have the unique ability to complement artificial intelligence with an ethical framework that guides its application. This human capacity for wisdom must be cherished and developed to the maximum because in an era where AI becomes a common tool not only in marketing and sales strategies but also as an important actor in making military decisions, human wisdom could be the differentiating factor that gives us a competitive advantage not only with our adversaries but also a general advantage that supports the survival and continued development of our beloved human species. In the current environment where decisions can be delegated to automated systems, human wisdom stands out for its ability to foresee ethical and humanitarian consequences that AI still cannot perceive.

Artificial Intelligence without Wisdom: Risks and Consequences

The lack of wisdom in the use of artificial intelligence can lead us to undesirable scenarios where technology advances without considering ethical and social consequences. A palpable example of this is the development of general artificial intelligence (AGI), which promises to surpass human intelligence in many areas. Without wise guidance, AGI could act in ways we do not anticipate, potentially to the detriment of society. Therefore, it is crucial that as a species, we not only advance technologically but also cultivate wisdom to use that technology in a way that benefits all humanity.

Human Wisdom as the Key to the Future with AI

As we have seen, technological development alone does not guarantee an improvement in human quality of life or happiness. The real challenge of our era is not just to create smarter machines but also to develop the wisdom that allows us to use that intelligence beneficially. Technology leaders, policy-makers, and each one of us have a role to play in this respect. We must wisely choose our representatives and demand that technology serves humanity, not the other way around. Ultimately, human wisdom will determine the future of our coexistence with artificial intelligence.