What is artificial intelligence anyway? Is it a threat or a tool for man? This is the question that has been asked lately, raising concerns about its further development.
We discussed this topic with him. Dr. Jorge Moleskiswith PhD in Counseling Psychology, Master in Philosophy and History of Science who explained to us the ways in which it can affect human existence.
Is artificial intelligence friend or foe of man?
I would say that artificial intelligence as we have known it from its genesis to its current evolution is a tool. Like all tools, whether they are used for good or bad is up to the user. In practice, we can see this condition applied in a variety of examples, from something as simple as the use of a sharp tool, to something as complex as the use of nuclear energy. A sharp tool can be used to perform a medical intervention (for example, surgery) or to point threateningly at another person. Nuclear power production can range from electrifying a city to powering a catastrophic explosion for war purposes. The determining factor in these examples is the man as a tool user, his morals and his intentions. In the same way, artificial intelligence becomes friend and foe depending on the user. Possibly the issue becomes more complicated if the AI becomes a tool user and begins to autonomously develop moral identity and intentions, independent of the user. Then we will be talking about a conscious, autonomous existence and not a tool. In that case, whether friend or foe, we will end up evaluating it as we evaluate living beings, that is, by our association. The danger lies in ignoring the transition of artificial intelligence from a tool to a conscious autonomous existence.
How does the development of artificial intelligence affect human psychology? Is it a motivator or a brake for the man?
I would say that this possibly affects us in two ways that probably contradict us with the meaning of our own existence. The first is to experience ourselves as an omnipotent creator and the second is to experience a nullification of the uniqueness of our being. To begin with, experiencing ourselves as creators of machines that increasingly resemble a human existence strongly creates the impression that we are omnipotent as a species, something that is further developed in YN Harari’s book “Homo Deus”. So, partly as an achievement, the creation of a highly developed artificial intelligence may give us the impression of omnipotence, since we have essentially largely managed to duplicate ourselves. On the other hand, creating a replica so close to human existence (and likely to reach replica levels), nullifies the uniqueness and mystery of human existence. In addition, the further development of artificial intelligence can create feelings of helplessness in us, since the copies will tend to be more capable than we are and will probably replace us in many activities. This is what the movie “Blade Runner” is about, based on the book “Androids dream of electric sheep?” Of P.what. Cock.
We see him “intervening” in areas such as medicine and science, what do you think?
Humans and animals have done all the work since the beginning of human history as we know it. Due to the technological advancement that we have achieved, these tasks being properly performed by machines that do them automatically is something that we have many historical examples of. Since the invention of self-propelled machines that replaced humans, horses, donkeys, oxen, etc. until the invention of the first computers that could replace and surpass the computing power of the average human being in accuracy and speed. Of course, in most cases, these technological transitions meant that many occupations changed significantly or disappeared. For example, a photographer from 1900 and a photographer today have completely different abilities to approach the same object, which is the aesthetics of the image. Specifically, a photographer today doesn’t need to know how to show film, but they do need to know how to edit photos on the computer. This happened because the camera evolved as a tool and the photographer followed it. If artificial intelligence is another tool that will change the profession of medicine and psychology, then we are talking about adaptation. If we are talking about the full autonomy of artificial intelligence, then we will be talking about the problems that I mentioned earlier, and about a number of contingencies. From a collaboration of human and artificial intelligence to a complete obsolescence of human skills.
What will be the future of artificial intelligence?
I think we can’t know. There is the possibility of a communication gap if the AI becomes autonomous and evolves in a way that we cannot keep up with. The novel “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by D. Adams very aptly describes this possibility. In this story, a very advanced anthropomorphic civilization decides to create a supercomputer, to ask the answer to the meaning of everything. The computer gave the answer “42” which made no sense to the creators of the computer. Something similar can happen in our own attempt to create something that significantly surpasses us.