Human Intelligence at the time of Artificial Intelligence

Are you considering the wholesale replacement of human activities within your team, group, geographies, or even your entire company with artificial intelligence? Are you aiming to reduce operational costs and automate virtually every aspect of your surroundings? If the answer is yes, then it's high time to reevaluate some of the outcomes of Automation by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

1. Friendly Fire and Military AI: On March 22, 2003, during the early days of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, a tragic incident occurred. American troops fired a Patriot interceptor missile, trusting their computer-driven weapon system's recommendation, which identified an incoming threat as an Iraqi anti-radiation missile. Tragically, the system mistook a UK Tornado fighter jet for an enemy missile, resulting in the loss of two Royal Air Force crew members. This incident was a stark reminder of the complexities and potential dangers of relying solely on AI for critical decisions in high-stakes scenarios.

2. Russian Autonomous Anti-Aircraft System: In contrast, there have been instances where AI-driven systems demonstrated impressive capabilities. For instance, the Vityaz anti-aircraft missile system autonomously detected, tracked, and destroyed Ukrainian air targets without any human operator intervention. This showcased the potential benefits of AI in military applications but also raised questions about the level of control and accountability in such systems.

3. AI in Healthcare: The failures of AI are not limited to the military domain. IBM's $62 million investment in an AI system for cancer research yielded unsatisfactory results. This highlights the need for cautious optimism and thorough evaluation when implementing AI in healthcare and other critical sectors.

4. Financial AI Mishaps: AI's pitfalls extend to finance as well. A Hong Kong real estate tycoon's experiment with an AI system to manage his funds resulted in daily losses of up to $20 million. This underscores the importance of understanding the limitations and risks associated with AI in financial decision-making.

These examples illustrate that while AI holds great promise, it is far from infallible. As AI continues to evolve rapidly, its real-world implications are still being assessed in various markets and environments. Consequently, companies like Google and Microsoft are reevaluating their investments in this dynamic field.

Understanding the capabilities and limitations of AI is imperative in today's world. Some advantages of AI include its 24/7 availability for support, assistance in reducing errors, handling complex repetitive tasks with lower risk, pattern recognition for innovation and decision-making, and its use in risk and hazardous environments. However, there are significant disadvantages, such as high costs, limited creativity and innovation, fears of job displacement, absence of emotions and ethics, and the potential for errors if not programmed and trained correctly.

On the other hand, human intelligence is characterized by creativity, intuition, emotional intelligence, adaptability to unexpected situations, ethical considerations, and out-of-the-box thinking. Nevertheless, it has its own set of limitations, including physical constraints, bias, and occasional poor decision-making.

In light of these considerations, it's time to explore how human intelligence can be harnessed more effectively. We should establish systems that enable human intelligence to make decisions based on patterns identified by AI and other sources. AI should not autonomously make decisions on behalf of humans. Instead, this should be a cyclic process: Data Intelligence > Artificial Intelligence > Human Intelligence. Start by automating smaller portions of tasks with AI and progressively expand automation as understanding and trust in the process grow.

In conclusion, a balanced approach that leverages both AI and human intelligence is essential for responsible, efficient, and effective decision-making in the modern world. AI should augment human capabilities rather than replace them entirely, fostering a symbiotic relationship that ensures the best outcomes.