birthing AI
by Matthias •Humanity has continually developed technology to enhance its quality of life. These advancements have reshaped and benefited society, but they come with trade-offs. Each time we embrace a new technology and make it a part of our lives, we become dependent on it and lose something in return. Now, with the rise of AI, I wonder if that could change.
skill for comfort
Each time we embrace technology it comes with a trade-off. For example; the introduction of the car and other vehicles dramatically improved our ability to travel. But on a collective scale it also reduces our physical activity, rendering us less fit. Relying extensively on GPS navigation eventually diminishes our geospatial awareness. Using technology often leads to the atrophy of certain skills. More accurately, we trade one skill for another. For instance, from writing by hand, we learn to type on keyboards and touchscreens, or we acquire the ability to drive a car. The technology itself does not directly diminish our skills; rather, it is the lack of practice that causes these skills to atrophy. When we embrace technology, our biggest incentive is the comfort or enhanced capabilities it provides. The idea is that we are improving ourselves, but in a sense, we become less capable as more of our skills are transferred to technology. Considering our human capability—not our human+technology capability—it seems we are fooling ourselves as some abilities fade away.
collective contribution
The birth of AI did not occur in isolation or through the efforts of a few individuals or companies. The development of AI is a direct result of our collective adoption and use of digital technologies. Our collective embrace of digital products in all their forms has accelerated technological progress, creating fertile ground for the emergence of AI. We all contributed to bringing forth AI, and with it, we collectively made trade-offs.
Much like a mother offers a part of herself to nurture her unborn child, society has made similar sacrifices to bring about the Digital / AI. As people spend more time engaged with technology, they lose touch with aspects that support a holistic and healthy life. Just as a mother sets aside aspects of her life during pregnancy, we collectively did the same while bringing about AI. And just as a child born into the world eventually contributes to the household and society, it feels like we are on the brink of realising General Artificial Intelligence (GAI) and seeing how it will influence our lives.
crystallised knowledge
It is exciting to look into the future and envision how AI could be integrated into our lives in a meaningful way. An AI model can be seen as a crystallisation of collective knowledge. This crystallisation holds knowledge from various domains we have explored as humans. By leveraging its extensive understanding of psychology, health, fitness, and more, AI can focus this rich information through personalised interactions. Statistically speaking, AI-to-user interaction can far exceed human-to-human interaction in terms of reach, availability, and adaptation in delivering information to specific users.
back to our inner cultivation
The most beautiful idea I can think of—and a vital pillar—is that AI could bring us back to our independence. It could guide us to become more internally rich, not by doing tasks for us, but by mentoring us on a personal level to enhance our skills. AI could play the role of a personal mentor, using creative wit to motivate us and help us regain and surpass our eroded capabilities. Imagine AI interacting with an elderly person to encourage them to take their first steps outside again, gamifying our driving routes to cultivate spatial awareness, or helping us make better day-to-day life choices. These interactions could heal individuals, making them more capable. It would be amazing if this were the point where we no longer empty ourselves into technology, but instead, AI helps us awaken our potential, healing the fabric of society by guiding individuals with surprising creativity and infinite patience.