Humans and Machines

Let us indulge for a bit in the most exciting intersection of our times, one between human intelligence (HI) and artificial intelligence (AI). Artificial intelligence seems to be taking over all walks of human life. From the way, we find information on Google to the way we drive with a Tesla, to what we watch on Netflix, how we predict a company's financial outcomes and analyze employee fit. From the way, we eat and shop on Amazon, to the way we learn on Coursera, whom we hang out with on Facebook and are influenced by on Twitter and LinkedIn. The influence of AI on HI is proliferating.?

I grew up listening to stories about the almighty God knowing everything about me. Today, my family living back in India have a similar power to know everything about me over video calls and technology. Extrapolated to future use cases at this rapid pace, artificial intelligence appears to be a supernatural power taking over the human world. If God is the creator of humans, and humans the creator of these machines running AI, are we the new God? And are these machines then modern humans? Humans vs machines - indeed a fascinating intersection to indulge in!?

Sometimes the debate is between beliefs. Is God more powerful than humans or merely a human-made construct? Regardless one thing has been evident at every step in human evolution; that there is something more extensive than human's perception of reality at any point in time.?

As time progresses, the perception has continued to grow, as has the understanding of reality, a bigger reality. For centuries, we have perceived the all-powerful God and its unfathomable abilities. Over the years, mythological stories have influenced dreamers to create science fiction from Harry Potter to Transcendence. Science fiction in turn gave ideas to scientists and technologists, who in due time made it a reality. Technological advancements in return nurture human imagination; and a virtuous cycle takes effect at the intersection of human and artificial intelligence.?

As we imagined things, we made things happen. As our imaginations advanced, so did our technological achievements, and in turn our imagination.?

?Perhaps the most powerful of all then is our imagination.

If humans can imagine it, machines can help make it happen ....