Humans have always been known for their astonishing ability to survive and adapt. From our origins of animalistic and brutal survival to today’s era of technological advancement and relative comfort, humanity has clearly been on an upward trajectory. However, there has always seemed to be a bigger evaluation at hand: When is enough enough? Or better yet, when have we taken it too far? And now, this question has its biggest competitor yet: AI.
Here is something that is hard to deny: humans are always adapting. It is simply what we are good at and what we have always done. And AI is a part of that; a new tool that we can better use as a part of our evolution and continued survival, even to possibly bring more quality and extension to it. This is why it feels so contradictory that society has become so critical of some of our newest AI advancements.
I can completely understand where most people are coming from. For one, I know I am not the only one who has grown up on AI destroying the world movies. Humans can be kind of rash sometimes, so it wouldn’t surprise me if giving AI too much power led to a disastrous end. But it doesn’t mean it’s all bad. Just like any other tool – and let’s face it, there’s no evidence, yet, that AI is conscious like you or me – its impact depends on the wielder.
You see, what people don’t truly want to admit is that we are no different than the generation before us. We are not special. Scientifically speaking, we always display the same habits and reactions. Those older adults we call ‘boomers,’ whom we criticize for not understanding our ways or for resisting change, are exactly who we are now. And it is not some brand new thing either.
In fact, it’s a biological factor in human nature that has always been happening: the younger, more rebellious generation brings in something new, and the older generation complains and attempts to stay with familiarity. Put on a societal stance: the older you get, the more you have to lose, so any change that you are uncertain of can be a threat. Biologically, the human brain is wired for certainty. So, this conversation, no matter what new tool comes our way, always happens, no matter how advanced we have become.
Knowing both these things — that the wielder determines how a tool is used and that criticism of uncertainty is nothing new — we should draw more practical conclusions about AI. To start, we can view the quality of our society as a whole with said AI. When the research is really put into it, you may find yourself seeing all the healthcare, education, manufacturing, and safety benefits it actually brings us.
Another practical conclusion: while these advancements help the parts of society that remain on the receiving end, the other end has people and parts of nature that suffer from these data centers powering our chatbot answering machines. And, the list only goes on, as there are plenty of pros and cons.
So, does this mean everything we are doing is wrong? Do we begin working backwards? In my opinion, I think it doesn’t; in fact, instead of cowering and criticizing the obvious, I think this should be the thing that pushes us further into thinking outside the box.
Like stated previously: humans are always adapting. We are thinkers and innovators, as we have proven in our history again and again. The most likely outcome is that we will push further, possibly past our planet.
Therefore, instead of stopping advancement, we should improve how we advance. This could mean that for us to have AI, we need to find ways to make facilities less impactful on nature and nearby communities. We could use less gas-powered and more solar-powered operations or put destructive facilities in areas that are low risk for negative impact.
There’s plenty of talk about the dangers of AI but far less about solutions. Especially in a privileged country like ours, it seems more productive to spread awareness of how these tools can be improved rather than simply criticizing them. There are still many places in the world with no clean water, and advancements like ours, could be the exact thing to give them sustainable lives.
Hence, we should appreciate our advancements as human beings, and have some sort of gratitude towards them, making sure to share them. But remember that working toward improvement is far more practical than letting our fear of uncertainty drive us backward.