Can Artificial Intelligence Replace Humans?
Throughout human history, our ability to imagine has drastically enhanced. In the era of prehistory, this quality allowed us to create myths. However, giving birth to a myth was easy, It was not easy to spread it over the other corner of the world. Yes, myths regarding spirits spread around the globe, but It took several years for that to happen. In this highly advanced era, we have mastered the art of creating myths. Thanks to the media we have as well learned to spread these myths across the globe in a matter of minutes.
Artificial intelligence (A.I) the term we all have been hearing once in a while since 1955 (the term was coined by one of the founding fathers of AI John McCarthy). The movie industry, along with novelists has made more money than people who built this technology, by foretelling the horrors of It. And why not? It is the most interesting shape of technology. Moreover, we were already predicting robots to take over humans and A.I sort of sent signals that our fiction can turn into a reality. Since then myths regarding AI started to appear. In this article I have talked about the most celebrated myth: “Artificial Intelligence will dethrone human civilization”. Is it really a myth? Or Can AI replace humans?
Note: I’m not talking as an expert here. I have prepared this article by listening to professionals, developers, and studying AI.
Can AI ever replace Humans?
We humans are not physically strong animals. A chimpanzee can smash a wanderers skull with Its bare hands, without even thinking twice. The sleepwalk of a Cheetah is faster than the fastest running human. Many animals out there can easily kill us If given the right opportunity. Yet we look down at these mighty animals from the top of the food chain. Why is that? Because of our cognitive abilities. We can think, accommodate, imagine, learn from mistakes, and communicate efficiently like no other creature on the planet. Our communication skill is that profounding quailty that has served us to grow as a ruler of the universe. While other animals can say “Watch out a lion”. We can narrate endless legends starting with “Once I saw a lion in the woods, five-kilometer north from Pennsylvania…”
Now, what If a species with more enhanced cognitive strengths than we have, stumble upon us? Would we survive? Certainly not. A species that can think in multiple dimensions simultaneously and possess incredible skills to communicate more actively and efficiently than us, would inevitably outpace us by every means. Does Artificial Intelligence possess advanced cognitive skills or will it ever? No, It doesn’t or maybe It will in millenniums. However, before that happens. We will be in the enslavement of an Intelligent civilization of aliens. I’m a Hollywood fan!
Intelligence is not measured by one dimension. A calculator can indeed sum up some numbers faster than any human. However, It can not reflect or reason to improve when calculating next time. Although artificial intelligence is way better than us at many tasks, It can not compete with our complex brains. A neuron forms about a thousand connections to the nearby neuron. Given the billions of neurons in our brain, means there are as many connections in a single cubic centimeter of brain tissues as there are stars in our galaxy. Can AI supersede this? Never. Unless we install some biological ingredients in Its development with the aid of molecular programming.
Artificial Intelligence has indeed replaced factory workers. The AI of today is very similar in various applications. Such as replacing factory workers, call center operators, office assistants, and perhaps truck and taxi drivers any time soon. Mainly, jobs that involve muscle work are already being replaced by AI. Furthermore, jobs that require logical reasoning, in other words, jobs that require cognitive ability to perform are secure (till when? Don’t know). However, in the distant future, hundreds of centuries from now possibly everything will be different.
Here is the thesis of the co-founder of Coursera — an online learning platform, Andrew Ng, that I will use to conclude my article:
“Worrying about AI evil superintelligence today is like worrying about overpopulation on the planet Mars. We haven’t even landed on the planet yet!”
