Here we are again, standing at a divide in the road. On one hand, the advancement of technology in the modern world is great. It helps the average Joe to have a plethora of knowledge at their fingertips. It helps in the creative capacity too. There have been quite a few times when I have turned to AI applications to help me research or organize a topic that I didn’t have the mental knowledge or energy to do myself. AI has also helped me to learn more and, in some ways, inspired me to continue forward on my writing and blogging journey. In those regards, AI has been a resourceful and handy tool to have.
Where I struggle though, is that some people feel the need to replace humans with AI, and that’s where I have to draw the line. Sure, AI can be more efficient and produce products quicker, but the human component is irreplaceable. The human brain is remarkable, and I wouldn’t be so quick to discount that. But I wonder if we really are that advanced in society that AI productivity has been the real reason that human workers are becoming “obsolete”.
After doing some research…and by research I mean watching a lot of opinion-based videos online, I have come to believe that AI is not the reason that humans are being let go of their jobs. I think what’s really happening is that the economy is worse than people want to admit. Like most problems, it stems from greed and control at the top. Not all rich people, but a lot of rich people love having substantial amounts of money at their disposal, and maybe not now, but previously, instead of investing that money wisely (i.e., into other people), they used that money for their own insatiable desires and selfish agendas.
Don’t get me wrong, who wouldn’t like to have a lot of money? But like AI, money is a tool, and you can use it for good or bad. Just like other tools, AI is meant to be used by humans, not to replace them. So why not use it to invest in others? Speaking about money specifically, I mean it’s not like you can take it with you when you pass on from this life. Have enough to give your family and to live comfortably for the rest of your life, sure, but there’s only so much a person can do with it.
Anyway, I digress. As world citizens, we are now at a crossroads. Do we let AI take over everything, or do we continue to invest in the human family? Can we find common ground and find a way to incorporate both responsibly? Personally, I think I’m going to create my own path right down the middle. A little bit of AI with the human touch, and see how far I get. I have this twisted fascination about how things are going to turn out. Even though at my level I, too, am feeling the financial pressure of being here on Earth, I’m still excited about how far we’ve come and what we’ve come through up to this point. The human spirit, the resilience and determination to survive, is something truly special. Something that can’t ever be replaced by a computer chip. But I’m also excited that technology has come so far along (again, thanks to human innovation). Here’s to the future.