To Be or Not To Be Scared: The Artificial Intelligence of the Future
Written by Buse Ece Güldiken
For the moment, we can simply claim that computers and humans have complementary skills. Once the task is clear and explained step by step, computers can perform the function very fast without any errors. That being said, computers are very useful in factories where fast production is important, in hospitals where small errors can cause major troubles and in many other fields in our daily lives. On the other hand, humans might not be able to process the task as fast as computers but they can think in an analytical and abstract way, they can solve unusual problems and can find creative solutions. More important, humans are able to generate and discover new things using their cognitive capabilities but we can not expect computers to invent something that does not exist. None of the machines that we are using now in our daily lives have the ability to think on their own and create a solution for our problems.
Considering these aspects we cannot compare the human brain and the computer at the moment, but should we in the future?
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the sub-branch of computer science which aims to develop computers with a similar capability to the human brain. The research within the branch is conducted by analysing how the human brain works, reasons and thinks.
The level of AI achieved so far in our century is known as “Narrow Artificial Intelligence”. This means AI is just specialised in one task, such as playing chess or recognising a face. So the same engine cannot perform any other task than its specialisation. For instance, if an AI device is specialised in processing a natural language it cannot make weather forecasts. So in narrow AI, the computers work in a limited context, they cannot go beyond their fields. Thus these artificial intelligences devices can perform routine jobs with a high capacity but are still far away from human capability.
Besides, the “Artificial General Intelligence” concept, also known as human-level AI, is the type of AI that has general human cognitive capabilities. This means that, faced with unfamiliar situation, it can analyse and find a solution to the problem and it can work intelligently.
Although there are still discussions whether having computers with human brain capability can ever be possible, it is being discussed if artificial general intelligence will be desirable.
To be or not to be
According to some researchers, AI cannot have positive or negative behaviours ethically, since it does not necessarily have conscience nor emotions. That being said, researchers believe that the presence of unconscionable computers can result in two unfortunate outcomes in the future.
First, AI can be programmed to execute an act that could have tragic results. Even in today’s AI integrated weapons, the AI could be programmed to kill if the AI is in wrong hands. To prevent that, today’s AI weapons are not fully autonomous. Considering a fully autonomous AI weapon, this weapon could even wipe out the entire human race if it’s programmed accordingly.
Second, AI could execute an act that is beneficial, but can result in tragic outcomes. The AI can always be programmed to satisfy our needs; but as AI doesn’t have a conscience and ethical concerns, an act done by AI can result in something that doesn’t fit humanity’s rules. For instance, the AI programmed to prevent global warming and to protect the world’s ecosystem might decide to destroy the human race.
This topic has also been discussed by popular figures in technology, such as Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates and Elon Musk. Taking the example of Bill Gates, former boss of Microsoft, he claims that people should be concerned with the artificial intelligence’s progress although he thinks it will take decades for AI to pose a threat to humans. Accordingly, Elon Musk also believes that humanity should be careful with AI, as AI can actually have the capability of wiping out the entire humanity with the cumulative advancements in technology. Thus he admits that national or international regulatory steps should be taken to prevent irrational activities throughout the world.
As a conclusion, this topic is still very obscure to adjudge but it is sure that we are in front of an epoch of innovation that can drive plenty of opportunities but also disadvantages to society and the entire human race. It is hard to predict if this technological era will be utopian or dystopian but it is clear that interaction between artificial intelligence and humans will further increase. In my opinion, there can be happier lives if robots can be used to aid human benefits. For example, robots can work in life-critical jobs where people are risking their lives or, even better, every person can have a helping robot, such as robots that can work and earn money for people.
But what I understood after reading A. Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’ and G. Orwell’s ‘1984’, is that technology has always seemed so close but actually it is not being developed that fast, thus there will be a long period of time before these presumptions will come true. Therefore I believe these discussions are just starting and humans will have plenty of time to observe where these developments will take them.
