Back in 1962, science fiction author and visionary Arthur C. Clarke published his book Profiles of the Future. From it were pulled several “Laws” of technology and advancement. While Clarke began with two laws, his third (added in 1973) is perhaps the most well-known: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
There’s no denying that modern AI and what it might do in the future appear magical. But sci-fi and fantasy stories have taught us that magic and technology are only good and useful when they are properly wielded by a trained user. AI can’t yet do it all on its own. This is why AI and human partnerships are the way of the future.
What AI Is Supposed to Do
There is a world in which AI is used for the betterment of humanity. A world where we will have created systems and technologies that enhance human capabilities so we can progress forward.
Visions for AI capabilities in the future include the idea of a General AI or a Superintelligent AI that can solve problems beyond what the human mind has been able to. This sort of technology can help make discoveries or aid in overcoming the world’s social and economic challenges.
AI may revolutionize healthcare by increasing diagnostic capabilities and personalizing patient care. AI might also enhance patient safety or advance medical discoveries. The vision for the future of AI is bright.
What AI Actually Does
Then there’s what AI actually does. In healthcare, AI is currently approved for utilization in diagnostic imaging. Combing through CT scan results can be onerous and time-consuming for doctors with little time on their hands already. AI algorithms can detect items such as lung nodules and may be applied to reading mammograms or other tests.
Generative AI is also a big hit right now due to Open AI’s ChatGPT, which uses a “neural network architecture” to form human-like responses to user prompts. ChatGPT can create a grocery list, write a poem, teach you physics, and even code a website.
What AI Doesn’t Yet Do
While AI seems magical, it also has many current limitations we need to be aware of. From writing hate speech to creating chemical weapons, generative AI can do some pretty terrible things. But it’s important to understand that it doesn’t think, understand, or have any awareness of what it’s saying. It is simply generating what it thinks we want to hear based on the data used to train it.
AI models of all sorts lack common sense and cannot feel emotion or show it. This means they also have no emotional intelligence. AI has shown time and again that it has challenges with impartiality, ethics, decision-making, and bias. Thus, we will always need to augment AI with humans.
Human and AI Partnerships
Notice the word “ augment.” AI should augment human intelligence, not replace it. It’s critical that we maintain human agency and take responsibility for the results of our use of AI. And there have been several successful AI/human partnerships.
For example, Amazon has been embracing AI by using AI robots since 2012 to move shelves and bring items to human pickers. It isn’t replacing the human element, but it is making things easier and quicker for them. In agriculture, drones can autonomously plant seeds or spread fertilizers, but humans still control the decision-making for what needs to be done. Diligent robots are used in hospitals and healthcare facilities to assist nurses with basic tasks, such as bringing items to patient rooms.
There are dozens of similar human-machine partnerships affecting every industry from basic manufacturing to military usage. Ultimately, the role of humans is to supervise AI to collaboratively complete a task. In short, AI will not replace humans.
Why Working with AI Is Unavoidable
No matter how you feel about AI, it’s the truth that those who utilize AI for work will slowly outpace those who don’t. It all comes back to the integration of humans with machines. If you want to Prepare for Success in the Era of AI, then you need to concentrate on the human element of the equation.
Humans continue to invent AI. Human output is what feeds the brains of generative AI. Thus, we need to enhance our HUMAN intelligence and abilities. Contact Dale Carnegie to see how you can bring your workers into the age of AI.