If AI is trained for destructive purposes like terrorism, then it could cause an apocalypse and could pose a threat to humanity. AI could be used in a creative way
Once I was watching a video of monk Gaur Gopal Das on the popular Kapil Sharma Show on which he was talking about fasting. He explored that fasting on food had become traditional, and it wasn't the real demand of time. The real need of the 21st century is electronic gadget and social media fasting. It means, if we want psychological and mental peace, then we should dare to get rid of mobile phones, laptops, the Internet, Facebook, TikTok, twitter and the like at least for a day in a month or in a week.
This may sound out of place as practically nowadays, these gadgets, internet and social media have become a part and parcel of everyday life. The objective of this is to minimise the control of AI-enabled technology upon us, which, in turn, provides us spiritual happiness and peace. If such gadgets and technologies go on governing us then the day isn't far off when AI machines will rule us and surpass us. Because, the stronger and smarter AI become, the more we will use them. Elon Musk once said, "AI is a fundamental risk to the existence of human civilisation."
A newborn AI is just like an infant whose brain is entirely empty. Widespread use of AI engulfs all our data and predicts our future steps. Using more AI is likely to be fatal for humanity. It somehow uses the past database and extrapolates it to tackle future problems.
For instance, while using Facebook or TikTok, for example, after few hours of usage, it automatically displays the content of your interest. As you go on using them more, it gives those contents which could be of interest to you.
AI is the development of computerised machines that can think and perform like the biological brain, such as decision-making, object detection and solving complex problems. It is of three types: Artificial narrow intelligence (ANI), Artificial general intelligence (AGI) and Artificial super intelligence (ASI).
If such AI is trained for destructive purposes like terrorism, then it could cause an apocalypse and could pose a threat to humanity. In contrast, if AI be used in a creative way then in the near future it could replace humans by working far better, diligently and meticulously. This could also lead to a devastating situation. So, either way, multifarious uses of AI is going to create a problem for humans.
AI shouldn't be made to exceed bio-intelligence (BI). It should be trained so that it remains only as a helping tool for humans and shouldn't be allowed to govern humans.
Let me put forth an interesting story that happened a year ago. One day, while I was passing through a corridor of my school, I heard two students chatting. During the conversation one student asked another," Did you understand today's topic? I found it really difficult. "The other smiled and replied, "I understand nothing."
The former one was bewildered and asked, "Then why didn't you discuss it with your teacher?" The other replied, "There is no point in asking because I watch the video lecture on YouTube later. YouTube explains it more clearly and better than the teacher."
This really worried me as a teacher. On the other hand, it made me feel the impact of technology on various aspects of life. This is merely an instance of the strong connection between AI and our life.
Likewise, people rely on in the Internet as an expert for medical advice, health issues, medication, various attires, national and international issues and many more things. They surmise that these web-based answers are perfect and flawless. At this juncture, people forget that Google, Gmail, social media, internet and now ChatGPT are all creations of humans.
Nowadays people talk a lot about the AI incorporated search engine, ChatGPT.
However, the main question is, can such AI replace or surpass bio intelligence (BI)? Similarly, can AI think and analyse as openly as BI? The womb of AI is also BI, isn't it? Then how can human-created AI surpass god- gifted BI? AI has its own limitations. The canopy of AI is defined by BI that has created it. So it is futile to say or imagine a world governed by AI.
AI itself isn't sovereign. It isn't another world like BI, rather it is an aid or tool for the progressive development of BI and it is also a storehouse for various entities for BI. It should always serve bio intelligence, and an independent universe entirely governed by AI shouldn't and mustn't exist.
Speaking technically, the term artificial intelligence was coined by computer scientist John McCarthy in 1956. AI is based on bio chips, which contain complex electronic and semiconductor circuits. This is the creation of humans as well. The answer given by AI itself is confined to a region that is predefined by its creator, that is, BI. In this sense, it can be said that an independent existence of AI is impossible while on the other hand replication of AI by AI is impossible.
There are many sci-fi movies showing a world populated with AI enabled robots. The robots are ordering other robots. However, a machine making other machines to work is not feasible in reality.
BI is the combination of multifarious nerve cells, circulatory system and muscular system. Its memory storage can't be fathomed quantitatively like the memory of AI. Rather, it can be expanded day by day. The more we use our BI the sharper and bulkier it becomes.
There is a saying, "Human can never become a god." Corroborating this statement, since humans are the creation of god and if humans could create similar creatures artificially, then they themselves become a god, which violates the aforementioned proposition. It means humans can't create similar artificial creatures.
Just like an AI enabled machine can't reproduce or create other machines a human can't artificially create other humans or human-like intelligent machines, that can think like biological beings.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 15, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
