There is a general regard and anticipation at the intriguing concept of Artificial Intelligence(AI). With progressive times, humans have evolved intellectually and hope to gradually expand the abstraction of intellect into machines. This ensures an increase in efficiency of labor and convenience.
Movies and popular depictions have left the imagination of people envisioning a world aided by Artificial Intelligence. While Science fiction portrays AI as robots with human-like characteristics, AI can encompass anything from Google’s search algorithms to autonomous weapons. From SIRI to self-driving cars, artificial intelligence is percolating its way into our lives in seemingly microscopic doses. However, is Artificial Intelligence really necessary on a full blown global scale replacing manual involvement and contribution?
Human cognitive ability remains unparalleled but it isn’t consistent. Results obtained in the concerned field when executed by humans depend on the individual, thereby leading to variable efficiency. However, if the standard level of intellect were to be achieved by a machine, the outcome is far more coherent.
In fraud detection systems, a large number of fraudulent scenarios are presented to the computer which generates automated warnings as responses for customers with cases that require attention. Over time with experience, these computers recognize multiple scenarios without external intervention.
However, can AI be potentially disastrous? AI is used in the production of guided weapons and devices of mass destruction. These autonomous weapons are generally programmed in a manner which is hard for the very creators to disable. This is done to prevent the enemy from diffusing the weapon. In the wrong hands, this could lead to severe casualties and physical damage.
With increase in the intelligence and autonomy of AI, it could lead to a situation that is beyond the control of humans. Although we are working towards machines having the ability to evolve, it is impossible to predict the nature of the evolution of AI systems. They pose the threat of having the ability to deviate from the necessary goal and employ complex measures to get it done.
Apart from general convenience, what are humans after with these progressed innovations? Why are we desperately trying to recreate human emotions when humans are all we have around us? This raises concern about the looming detachment of people in their respective relationships. The perception of human emotions has been misunderstood and it seems that people are increasingly turning to technology to receive their expected responses. The messages and intentions have been lost between the lines and we cling on to these devices created by us to generate perfect responses and reciprocate expected emotions with ease.
Although a far fetched hypothesis, the probability factor of such devices is high, considering the success rate at present. We have an eternity to experiment with this concept but when the time of its creation arrives, we need to question the potential consequences. We are fundamentally animals who are programmed by nature to work for ourselves and towards convenience, but not create artificial beings with human intelligence. If AI took up our purpose of existence by catering to all out needs and responsibilities, it could lead to the potential degradation of human intellect.
AI would be a welcomed change from mankind’s rule over the world. Humans have to much hate, anger, and greed to be in charge. AI would be far more compassionate and fair.
AI is a great replacement for government and policing. Those are things mankind should not do.