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Are We Losing Our Fingerprints in the Age of AI?
On seeking the real when the artificial learns to feel.
Scroll through your feed. That stunning artwork? AI-generated. That perfectly worded email response? Drafted by AI. That empathetic voice on the customer service line? Quite possibly, AI. We’re living through a technological Cambrian explosion, where artificial intelligence is rapidly taking centre stage, capable of creating, conversing, and even mimicking connection. The line between reality and articiality blurs to such an extent that we end up questioning ourselves sometimes — is this even real, or are we living in a simulation? What is reality? Is it something tangible and definitive, or is it simply a representation of sensory input we thought we have acquired?
Of AI, we marvel at its capabilities. AI can write poetry, compose music, design products, and translate languages in the blink of an eye. It promises efficiency, perfection, and increasingly, companionship. It offers a world tailored to our preferences, smoothing over the rough edges of daily life.
But amidst this dazzling display of artificial prowess, a quiet question echoes in the back of our minds: What does it mean to be authentic when the artificial becomes so convincingly real? Are we polishing away the very imperfections that make us human?
