Hey Siri, What Does AI Mean for Psychology?
“Hey Siri, what’s your favorite color?”
I don’t know about you, but I am a member of the rather large population of people who have tried to have a chat with their smartphone. How silly is it that we actually try to communicate with artificial intelligence as if we were talking to a person?
Artificial intelligence is all around us now, all thanks to technological advancement, for the major purpose of making mine and your life a LOT easier. GPS systems, personal assistants (i.e. Siri, Alexa, Cortana), self-driving cars and so on, all fall under the categorization of artificial intelligence, and just because I love definitions, why don’t we ask Siri to define artificial intelligence?
“Hey Siri, define artificial intelligence.”
“The theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision making and translation between languages.”
In today’s world, the use of AI has extended into medical research, where it is used for things like DNA sequencing and advanced precision medicine for individualized care.
The way I see it, AI has advanced so much from what it used to be, and you’d think that with how much Alexa knows, being connected to the internet and all, she would be considered more ‘intelligent’ than the average human. Thankfully, that’s not the case. The human brain is the most complex organ in existence, and we are yet to discover all of its mysteries. However, it’s a little scary that AI is catching up to us. This is because the developmental path of AI comes with a new idea that brings it closer to mimicking the everyday human thought process. This could be an extremely valuable tool because, as mentioned earlier, the human brain is so complex; we have barely cracked the surface with the vast body of neurological research.
So, what does AI mean for us in psychology?
Well, psychologists have not been able to accurately explain the nature of the psyche. For several years, psychologists and theorists have been unable to make precise assumptions, and the likelihood that we will be able to do this in the future, is slim. However, we don’t aim to prove anything in psychology, and this is due to our mental complexity. A large number of earlier research on our cognitive functions have been based on animal research, however, we can all agree that despite the huge similarity of a human brain to that of a monkey or ape, it is not an exact representation, and that is putting aside the ethical controversies that surround animal research. AI intelligence …now that seems like an open door to both eliminating ethical concerns and possibly getting more experimental with cognitive research. Things like administering certain psychometric tests, assessments, and questionnaires, can be facilitated with AI and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms, another advanced area of computer science and intelligence research. Who knows, with the rate of AI advancement, virtual therapists might become a thing. I mean, it’s kind of already a thing as there are several AI chat-boxes available online which are open to the public. Can’t say I am completely excited about the idea that a man-made software could possibly replace me, but on the flip side, it helps reduce the cost of mental health which according to US statistics is 201 billion dollars, annually. But hey! Nothing can ever replace the human touch … I hope.
But just imagine Siri being able to administer therapy… sounds cool.
There is so much more AI can do in relation to psychology. Can it ever replace a psychologist? Probably not, as we have seen around us, no matter how developed technological advancements get, it cannot be independent of human involvement.
The one thing I really wish AI can do however, is to write my essays for me.
