Rather than fearing AI, let’s level up our human intelligence

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It’s obvious that machines are evolving, and algorithms and AI are constantly learning and growing, but are we as humans doing so?

Has the time come for humans to stop fretting on the latest developments of AI and focus more on the development of our own intelligence? I think so.

We've seen the human vs AI debate overtaking headlines across the globe ever since Stephen Hawking’s famous interview with the BBC almost a decade ago, where he said: “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.”

Fast-forward 10 years, and we’re left with two distinct possibilities:

1. Giving into the full-blown extinction panic that AI is heralding the end of human civilization, or

2. Believing that AI will unlock the next level of human potential and reshape organizations, markets and the economy.

The more optimistic experts in the world – who choose the second option – have now come to a consensus that AI won’t replace humans , but rather humans who partner with AI will replace humans without AI.

The trouble is that even embracing AI could be detrimental, if we don’t do it the right way. Numerous studies are beginning to show how AI is actually making us lazier and resulting in the loss of our decision making abilities . Social media algorithms are literally rewriting our brains .

I posit a “pause moment” for humanity.?

Have we forgotten what our brains are truly capable of?

Rather than be fearful, let’s consider what we, as bad-ass humans, bring to the table – with logical reasoning, incredible social cognitive abilities, emotional intelligence, creativity, and adaptability – and how our human intelligence can strengthen and complement AI.

What if we share a world where we as humans never stop learning, alongside an AI that never stops learning either??

Let’s investigate…

The human brain is fascinating

I recently had the pleasure of meeting my friend’s weeks-old baby. She was very cute, but I couldn’t help but also notice how fragile and helpless she was.?

This got me thinking: Humans are kind of useless at the start. We are a collection of cells – which are still developing and growing – unable to do much more than cry, gurgle, or swallow.

And yet, this little baby’s dark eyes were flicking around, absorbing information of the world around her. It was a stark reminder of how quickly a baby’s brain learns and thrives.

Babies already have all of the brain cells (neurons) they’ll need for the rest of their life , but it is the neural connections between these cells that really make the brain work.?

In fact, in the first few years of our lives, at least one million new neural connections (synapses) are made every second . It is incredible to think what the human brain is capable of achieving within such a short span of time.?

Apart from the human brain’s ability to process data, it also helps the child walk, talk, doodle and colour, communicate, learn languages, build relationships, interpret emotions, understand social rules, and develop a sense of “self”. This is already far superior to AI.

In fact, a team of psychology and data science researchers from New York University recently highlighted how infants outperformed artificial intelligence in detecting what motivates other people's actions.

And as we grow older, we develop even more. We gain empathy, ethics, and a nuanced understanding of complex situations – all areas where AI often falls short.?

The role of the human brain in the age of AI

When I quoted Elon Musk’s Tweet “AI will probably be smarter than any single human next year ” in my newsletter last week, it also came with a caveat: The human brain is irreplaceable.

Sure, we are soon reaching a stage where AI will have more knowledge, and be more superior at processing data, coming up with creative ideas, reducing risks, and performing monotonous tasks faster and more efficiently.?

But just as much as we’re moving into a world where we need AI, it’s important to understand that AI also needs the human brain.

“AI can’t fly solo ,” says Professor Jonathan Weiner quoted in a Hopkins Bloomberg article. The idea that the human brain can build a program, turn it on, and sit back while perfect predictive analyses print out like the work of an army of oracles couldn’t be farther from the truth, the article states.

According to Prof. Weiner: “The whole point of the machines is to supercharge the analytical ability (left brain) so that the rest of human intelligence (right brain) can operate to maximum effect.”

The human brain will always be needed for crucial decision-making, to contribute empathy, for ethical oversight, to exercise our intuition, and to take a “judgement call”.

Train your brain or…?

The neural connections in our brains help us learn. But if we choose not to learn when we get older, the neural connections in our brains die.?

Read that again. (If that’s not going to motivate you to trade bingeing another episode of Married At First Sight for a good book, I don’t know what will!)

“Our brain is like a muscle. You have to use it or it will get smaller and smaller. When you stop learning, your brain starts dying ,” says Dr. Daniel Amen, a 12-Time New York Times best-selling author and the founder of Amen Clinics.

This process called “brain atrophy ”, which is normal with age, is also what causes memory loss and the onset of Alzheimer’s , according to Dr. Daniel.?

The good news? Brain atrophy can not only be prevented by learning, but the brain also has the lifelong ability to to change and rewire itself if we consciously train it on a regular basis. This is called “neuroplasticity .”

"Embracing a new activity that also forces you to think and learn and requires ongoing practice can be one of the best ways to keep the brain healthy," according to Dr. John N. Morris, director of social and health policy research at the Harvard-affiliated Institute for Aging Research.

“The Growth Mindset”

A growth mindset goes much beyond “learning”. It calls for an insatiable thirst for knowledge , openness to feedback, embracing failure, being flexible and adaptable and having problem-solving skills so that we remain resilient in a world of AI.

A term coined by celebrated Stanford Professor Carol Dweck, the “growth mindset ” requires humans to move past the fear that “AI will replace my job” to teach us that we are all capable of learning new things .

My job didn’t exist 20 years ago, perhaps yours didn’t either. And in 20 years, in a world of AI and robotics, chances are they will cease to exist again.

Prof Debra Rockey at Bates College – who prepares future generations for the age of AI – says that the skills needed for the age of AI stem from mindfulness (which she calls ancient wisdom), critical thinking and problem-solving (which she calls a “reframing”), and a growth mindset (which she refers to as our super-power meta-skills). ?

In a recent research paper from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, an aggressive mission-oriented “brain capital industrial strategy” has been mapped out. Their mission? To first identify the brain assets that are most difficult for machines to replicate and then invest in them strategically. The study states that this will be essential not only for human progress, but potentially for the survival of our species.?

It concludes that by focusing on our uniquely human capacities, we can better determine how to enhance AI — including using AI to help determine what its technology lacks and how humans can most effectively use our brain resources for the greater good.

At the end of the day we have two choices

The future can be scary, but remember, the media loves to create fear. Fear drives clicks to their articles, and clicks create revenue. The media essentially makes money off of our fear.

Yes, concerns around AI are real. And yes, AI can replace jobs and deepen inequality. But AI will also create jobs. It can also help solve humanity’s greatest problems, such as climate change, diseases and even death.

Regardless of our views on any of this, ultimately, we have two choices in life. Either a) we live our lives encompassed in fear or b) we step up, become smarter, stronger, and faster. Better.

Life evolves, so do humans, and that’s a fact.

Other Popular Future Files By Briar Prestidge :

• "Every profession will have an AI copilot by 2028"
• The robots are coming, so where does that leave us?
• Transhumanism: “The world’s most dangerous idea” or humanity’s saving grace?
• Neuralink and brain-computer interfaces: A medical second chance, a cure for mental conditions, and… our next smartphone?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR, BRIAR PRESTIDGE:

Based between New York and Dubai, Briar Prestidge is a serial entrepreneur, “Web3 evangelist” (Forbes), and futurist. She is the Founder and CEO of Prestidge Group ,? Metaverse Board Advisor to INTERPOL and Metaverse Fashion Council, and Strategic Advisor for Imagin3 Studio.

Briar is the producer and host of HYPERSCALE , a weekly podcast featuring leading experts worldwide that takes you on an exhilarating journey into the future. Her reality-style docuseries takes viewers on a journey as she explores how the line between human and machine will blur.

In 2022, she produced the award-winning documentary '48 Hours in the Metaverse' which had Briar interviewing 21 metaverse experts across 33 virtual spaces, and was featured in leading publications such as Forbes and WIRED. Her NFT fashion label for avatars was showcased and launched at the world’s first Metaverse Fashion Week on Decentraland.

Briar was named one of the ‘Top 100 Most Influential’ people in the United Arab Emirates, and has been featured across Entrepreneur, Forbes, OSN, Emirates Women, Marie Claire, Grazia, Cosmopolitan, and WIRED, among others, in recognition of her work.

LEARN MORE AND VISIT BRIAR'S PRESS WEBSITE