The symbiosis between AI and humanity

Technology can be a dynamic reference that does not launch rays indiscriminately, but rather collaborates to build bridges.

If we take this phrase as a working premise and analyze the different situations in which we can be linked as users of information technology and intelligent systems, we will see that, as we have already stated in other articles, we can distinguish two types of users and, therefore, positions regarding the effective use of technology and its benefits.

To do this, and before starting, let's establish the scope of application of our analysis. Based on the intelligent technologies available to the general public and accessible on a daily basis, we consider that it is in this area where the dichotomy of the impact generated by: benefit or risk of negative effect from its use is most manifested.

If we distribute the users again into two groups, we will define these as follows:

Passive users:

They are those groups of individuals that use the benefits of intelligent response systems as sources of solutions and answers to questions or problems raised. These will be taken as such without any processing on the part of the user, both in the formulation of the approach and in the execution of the solution, which will be taken as it is delivered by the system. It is a modality reminiscent of the Oracles of mythology, where they are consulted and their answers are taken without questioning or processing in any way. In this group, users become passive and dependent factors on the technology, which begins to have predominance and value at a higher level than that of the user themselves.

Active users:

They are those groups of individuals who, faced with a given situation that involves a problem to be solved, analyze it, evaluate the options and ways to solve it. They then summon intelligent technological systems to collaborate in developing a final and effective design to address the solution to the problem. Once a response or set of responses is obtained, the user analyzes them, evaluates their feasibility and epistemic validity, and then decides whether to execute them as is or with additional modifications. In this way, the intelligent system officiates of great value for the intellect of the active user: it performs cumbersome or time-consuming tasks of searching and collating data and calculations. The technology also serves as a prototype to evaluate possible alternative models of solutions or theoretical constructions before their execution in the field. In this group, artificial intelligence becomes a strategic participant for the generation of a synergy of potential, but with the exclusive and creative direction of the user. Technology maintains the original function for which all of them were created from the beginning of human history: to be a facilitating system for specific actions previously conceived by the scientific, artistic or domestic knowledge of the human being.

Responsible freedom and involuntary distortions

The distinction between passive and active users is not just a question of attitude, but also of how environmental pressure can shape, sometimes imperceptibly, our relationship with AI. In this context, responsible freedom becomes a central axis for the appropriate use of technology. However, there are certain factors that can distort this freedom without us noticing:

1. Automation of personal criteria: Personalizing content can reinforce biases without the user realizing it. If the answers AI offers are always in line with our beliefs, it may be limiting our view of the world.
2. Normalizing excessive delegation: AI is a powerful tool, but if we stop questioning its answers and become accustomed to accepting its solutions without self-evaluation, our capacity for critical thinking can atrophy.
3. Desensitization to algorithmic manipulation: Digital platforms use AI to optimize user retention, often prioritizing information consumption over its quality or veracity.
4. False sense of objectivity: Algorithms are not neutral, but rather reflect the values and limitations of those who designed them. Believing that AI always provides correct answers can lead to overconfidence in its results.
5. Inertia of digital conformism: Over time, dependence on technology can go from being a choice to an imposed necessity, limiting our ability to act without it.

Being an active user not only means knowing how to use technology, but also recognizing when it is influencing our decisions without us being aware. The key lies in maintaining active vigilance over our own cognitive process and our relationship with AI, thus ensuring that technology remains a tool of empowerment, and not control.

Eduardo Terranova, March 7, 2025

Referenced bibliography

• Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2014). The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies. W.W. Norton & Company.
• Harari, Y. N. (2016). Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow. Harper.
• Tegmark, M. (2017). Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Knopf.
• Russell, S., & Norvig, P. (2020). Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach. Pearson.
• Floridi, L. (2014). The Fourth Revolution: How the Infosphere is Reshaping Human Reality. Oxford University Press.