The Other Side of the AI Revolution

For human beings, no matter what, it is the emotions that are always at the forefront of the thought process and it is very easy to push rational thinking to the back of the brain when faced with certain challenges. This is one area where AI will always have an upper hand. The kind of imminent risks that we could face in the very near future due to the AI revolution though, can be crudely compared with the discovery of plastic many years back and the eventual plasticization of the entire world the price of which we are paying heavily today. Similarly, uncontrolled utilization of AI could result in machines taking over the world with human beings converted to vegetables not to mention the rational thinking ability of machines being used for irrational purposes by not-so-well-meaning humans.

Of course, as long as we are able to create our own tailor-made avatars and control them through wires plugged into our brains, it’s all good. What is scary however, is lying comatose in a pod while robots rule the world using our energy and the energy of millions like us lying around in a completely wasted & meaningless world. I sometimes wonder whether the sole purpose of humankind on the face of this earth is to destroy life by hook or by crook. Whether through war or development, the end result always seems to be some sort of destruction. While a lot can be achieved through AI, how prudent is it to jump into it with eyes closed and embrace all that it has to offer without weighing the risks of doing so??

Considering the fact that AI could also kill creativity, the ability to solve basic problems, and the innate curiosity of a human mind to discover & invent new things, would we be able to survive if AI is suddenly taken away from us and we are forced to live life the old-fashioned way? We would probably experience withdrawal symptoms considering the hallucinating addiction to AI which is slowly blurring the thin line between fantasy & reality enabling us to lead alternate lives in a parallel universe where we all are what we are not.

On the flip side, AI could be a boon to achieve a whole lot of things that we could never dream of achieving with NI (natural intelligence – pun intended). Things that could otherwise take years could probably be done in seconds. AI could provide solutions to incurable diseases, enabling us to live longer & healthier lives. But what would the purpose of these long lives be when AI will do everything for us? Does this AI era thus represent the pinnacle of Maslow’s pyramid? However, the pinnacle does not mean transcendental self-actualization for everyone. Because every person climbs the pyramid differently – every person has a unique path. And even if all their needs have been fulfilled, they could engage in harmful activities to quench their ulterior thirst for “something to do” by the time they reach the top.

With AI taking over jobs on the one hand and helping people live longer lives on the other, we could face a dilemma of sorts. How do we keep our young adults entering the workforce and the not-so-young ones about to retire, gainfully occupied in a paradoxical situation where the number of jobs will decrease and the number of healthy people will increase? This is where stricter regulations around population control and robust policies around retirement benefits could play a vital role. However, by the time such measures are implemented, AI will have taken the world by storm and changed the world as we know it – for better or worse.

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