AI and the Human Fear of Progress
Being scared of change is part of human nature, a trait that has helped them survive for centuries. Picture this: you’re walking home through your usual path at 7 p.m., just like always, when suddenly you hear a strange, loud noise. For the first time after months of routine, you see people running the other way. Instinctively, you want to run too. This is fear of change in action — your brain recognizes the broken pattern, signaling that something is wrong. For your safety, you react by removing yourself from the situation. Humans have evolved to be highly attuned to their surroundings, constantly scanning for irregularities that might signal danger.
This survival mechanism ties directly to the fight-or-flight response, an evolutionary reaction to perceived threats. When humans encounter the unexpected, the amygdala triggers a surge of adrenaline, preparing the body to confront or flee. This response is often set off by environmental changes, like an unusual noise or people behaving out of the ordinary. Evolutionarily, change signals uncertainty, which could mean danger. As a result, humans tend to stick to familiar patterns where outcomes are more predictable and safer. This same instinct explains why people are often wary of innovations like artificial intelligence. While fear of change has helped us survive, sometimes change is necessary and can lead to progress.
Artificial intelligence is on the rise, yet many are terrified of its potential. People fear that AI will make their jobs obsolete, overpower humans, and erode human skills and decision-making, leading to an unhealthy dependency on technology. Additionally, the possibility of AI being used for malicious purposes raises serious concerns about security and safety. While humans are wired to perceive change as a threat, history has repeatedly shown that these fears are often misplaced.
When calculators first became widely available, many, especially educators, feared that students would become overly dependent on them and lose basic arithmetic skills. However, calculators have since become a standard tool, enhancing education by allowing for more complex problem-solving. Similarly, skeptics once believed the internet would never be widely adopted, fearing it would disrupt traditional industries like publishing and lead to the death of books. Instead, the internet transformed nearly every industry, including publishing, by creating new opportunities such as e-books and digital media. It revolutionized communication, education, and commerce, making information more accessible than ever.
Just like calculators, the internet, computers, and phones, AI is one of those changes people are scared about, but soon will become a tool that will help expand our knowledge and open unthinkable doors. AI is poised to revolutionize the future by automating complex tasks, analyzing vast data instantly, and predicting trends with unprecedented accuracy. It will drive autonomous technologies like self-driving cars, and push the boundaries of human creativity in fields like art and design. As AI continues to learn and adapt, it could redefine industries, reshape decision-making processes, and unlock solutions to global challenges, from healthcare to climate change. Its future potential lies in augmenting human capabilities and transforming how we live and work. And it is up to the humans themselves what AI will be capable of doing.
Instead of shielding future generations from the power of AI it should be fomented. Kids should be taught how to prompt AI successfully, how to understand its capabilities, and prompted to think outside the box. Instead of being prohibited from using AI like ChatGPT, Gemini, virtual reality, augmented reality, they should be taught to explore it, play around with it, and eventually learn to use it. Even though it’s scary it’s just because it is unknown and many people theorize about it but don’t actually want to delve in. I believe that through a proper education people will be able to embrace the change and take it to the next level.
