Context Matters.
Envision a cold winter’s day filled with a gray and bleak sky, with the frozen wind howling at your door. Then let me know how motivated you’d feel to complete that pending project. Even with a thick homemade quilt near a crackling fireplace, seated atop a soft bearskin rug, the mind seeks motivation to rest not work.
The human experience has always been both baffling and amazing. Over centuries we have sought equally the ability to automate our lives, while simultaneously exploring the path of personal growth. The complexities of the journey only continue with the invention of AI.
With any invention man has given birth to, there have been those who have agreed and those who disagreed. The nature of man vs the creation of AI brings many questions to light. Who is the true author if a machine has generated the bulk of the work? The black experience has endured their creations being stolen for decades, and the laws of the land simply trampling over their uniqueness. So authorship may be a simple challenge to meet, if we give genuinely to those who inspired any piece of work?
The question I ask, is whether AI is the problem or is it human ego and the way we interact with each other?
Authenticity Matters
AI has created a pathway for many without the financial resources to compete in arenas once thought improbable. Some see the writing on the wall and believe the human element will become obsolete. I ask those same individuals, hasn’t human connection already become an antiquated idea?
A majority of society engages primarily through technology. The dilemma remains in one’s ability to decipher the difference between a bot and a human. Having much access to the world through the internet, many see this as an unavoidable consequence. Having the ability to draft and create in minutes does nothing to diminish the skill and value that manmade projects present.
I could address the pros and cons of AI integration into our lives, but I’d rather investigate a greater perspective. What does the human experience truly seek?
It is my opinion that convenience and reduced stress are the main priorities. The cold winter kiss is still waiting at your front door. Discipline and commitment are not relative to one’s circumstances and goals. While humans have used tools forever to complete tasks, many see AI as another version of an age-old human need. The “humanist” will see AI as the vile enemy of human creativity, yet ignore the human vs human interaction that can be far worse.
Will there be a middle ground, or will this lead to another reason for people to be divided amongst themselves?
Comprehension Matters
AI has created much division with varying opinions. Just as important are the opportunities it will create for the uninitiated. On both professional and personal platforms, the applications of AI will explore the edges of human compassion. Will the journey into the unknown be catastrophic or eye-opening?
Like any other controversial topic, AI’s arrival has caused much vitriol. The lack of complete understanding can lead to many urban myths of how it works. For years the stereotypes of the black community have made it easy to believe that we were incapable of creating, leading, and establishing successful businesses.
Inventions like driverless cars or hearing aids that operate with some form of AI will receive mainly glowing reviews. Others like ChatGpt or OpenAI find themselves in the middle of heated ethical discussion.
The most overlooked question from my perspective is how AI’s existence isn’t different than any tool before it. People now struggle to remember phone numbers because of the cellphone, many would rather drive 5 minutes than walk, and so on. Man has always used tools for corruption and destruction. There have always been those who pushed back against the ill-intent amongst us.
So what now?
Integrity Matters
As the climate continues to rise around the opinions of AI and it’s level of integration into our lives, I dare you to take more than a glance at the surface and dig deeper than your hesitation. As a writer, poet, and now a self-published author, I have no gripes with AI-generated content.
At one stage in my life, I believed AI and robots would be the end of human value. As I have aged I realized humans have always been the biggest threat to themselves. With every revolution in human history, it has been the few in power who dominated the masses. Controlling and determining the creativity and productivity of the masses has stifled and buried the beauty of the human experience.
As many continue to battle against the growth of AI, I believe the real target of their grievance should be the humans who misuse and abuse the tools to advance their selfish goals. AI can only follow the logical conclusion of the person who requests its services.
The theme of any apocalyptic movie in regard to a robotic takeover has always been the fact that humans lack the ability to see the humanity of the people who differ from them. The most rational conclusion that any alien/AI can make is that humans are heading down a path to eliminate themselves and destroy everything in their path. So, if you want to save the human race you must do one of two things. You either create highly restrictive laws in place to monitor their every movement, or you eliminate humans to protect all that remains at risk of destruction.
We must choose a path that reveals a greater collective of skills, and not one that only continues to divide.
AI is here, will it hinder or enhance the human experience? I say, let humans first recognize our inherent value to each other, and all other tools will only reflect our core values.
