We feel we are stuck in a combination reaction that cannot be reversed or decomposed at the end of the day. Dear Artificial Intelligence, my society may think of you as the biggest threat to humanity, but they forget that I am still the master. I can change your role with just one line of code.
In the twenty-first century, the only argument that has been made by society has been about how evil, awful and blood-thirsty superintelligence can be. Well, I’d request everyone to kindly google something known as a “kill switch” which needs to be installed as a legal compulsion on any AI equipment so that any abnormal activity can be notified and immediately controlled. This is exactly how the malfunctioning self-synthesised algorithm of communication of the Facebook AI was controlled.
So, framing the superintelligence of AI as a manifestation of Mussolini or Musharraf of the future is way too far-fetched and fallacious. Being a Humanities student, I have examined and noticed our tendency to overstress and panic on issues of AI. More than 80% of our so-called knowledge about AI comes from fiction and movies that have exaggerated the future of AI.
Terrorism is one of the biggest existential threats to humanity. And I believe we have don’t remember what had happened at Army Public School, Peshawar, or at Stoneman Douglas High School, Florida, in 2018. An organisation called Shielded Students came forward to counter this extreme form of terrorism, against students, by developing AI software that can detect characterised bombs, rifles, revolvers, knives and gunpowder. AI became more of a saviour.
There has been a steady movement of communicable chronic ailments like SARS, HIV, and Ebola worldwide. The treatment of these diseases endangers the life of the doctors. So, this is where AI comes into play in the form of remote surgery, where a robot replicates the actions performed by the doctor at a distant place, ensuring the survival of both the patient and the doctor. For patients struggling with memory-loss diseases like Alzheimer and Dementia, AI has brought memory restoration techniques.
“AI will take away our jobs” (are the words of every engineer, accountant, forensic science technician, and surgeon) is a common consensus. It is sad to note that we forget that there is a world beyond STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). This world includes painters, artists, activists, sociologists, historians, musicians and influencers. The advancement in AI is an opportunity for us to explore the different options we have.
To conclude, if you want to know about something to be afraid of, remember that we are creating irreversible climate change as a species. Human beings have their fingers on the buttons, ready to destroy large parts of civilisation with nuclear weapons. The industrious capacity of humans created this civilisation.
Artificial Intelligence is a mere product of human knowledge and skill. We are neither weak nor cowards. This product of ours can never dictate us. If we can create AI, we can prevent it from overpowering us.