We live in a world of probabilities. When I started talking about ai and its implications years ago, the most common question was: Will ai come after us?
And while the question remains the same, my answer has changed in terms of probabilities. It is more likely to replace human judgment in certain areas, so the likelihood has increased over time.
While we are talking about a complex technology, the answer will not be simple. It depends on several factors, such as what it means to be smart, whether we suggest replacing jobs, anticipating the timelines of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), or identifying the capabilities and limitations of ai.
<img decoding="async" alt="Will ai replace humanity?” width=”100%” src=”https://technicalterrence.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Will-AI-replace-humanity-KDnuggets.png”/><img decoding="async" src="https://technicalterrence.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Will-AI-replace-humanity-KDnuggets.png" alt="Will ai replace humanity?” width=”100%”/>
Source: Canva
Let’s start by understanding the definition of Intelligence:
ai-Definitions-HAI.pdf” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>stanford defines intelligence as “the ability to learn and perform appropriate techniques to solve problems and achieve context-appropriate goals in an uncertain and constantly changing world.”
technology/glossary/artificial-intelligence” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>Gartner It describes it as the ability to analyze, interpret events, support and automate decisions and take actions.
ai is good at learning patterns; However, mere pattern recognition does not qualify as intelligence. It is one of the aspects of the broader spectrum of multidimensional human intelligence.
<img decoding="async" alt="Will ai replace humanity?” width=”100%” src=”https://technicalterrence.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/1701003969_358_Will-AI-replace-humanity-KDnuggets.png”/><img decoding="async" src="https://technicalterrence.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/1701003969_358_Will-AI-replace-humanity-KDnuggets.png" alt="Will ai replace humanity?” width=”100%”/>
Source: Canva
as experts believe, “ai will never get there because machines cannot make a sense (rather than mere knowledge) of the past, present, and future; of history, wound or nostalgia. Without that, there is no emotion, depriving bi-logic of one of its components. Thus, machines are trapped in singular formal logic. There goes the “intelligence” part.
Some might refer to ai verification tests from prestigious institutes and, more recently, the Turing test as a testament to its intelligence.
For the uninitiated, the Turing test is an experiment designed by Alan Turing, a renowned computer scientist. According to the test, machines possess human-like intelligence if a tester cannot distinguish the answer between a machine and a human.
TO ai-passed-the-turing-test/” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>full test overview highlights that although generative ai models can generate natural language based on statistical patterns or associations learned from a large amount of training data, they do not have human consciousness.
Even advanced tests, such as the General Language Comprehension Assessment, or GLUE, and the Stanford Question Answering Dataset, or SQuAD, share the same underlying premise as Turing’s.
Job losses
Let’s start with the fear that is quickly becoming a reality: will ai make our jobs redundant? There is no clear “yes or no” answer, but it is quickly approaching as GenAI casts a wider net of automation opportunities.
ai-and-the-future-of-work-in-america#/” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>McKinsey reports: “By 2030, activities that account for up to 30 percent of hours currently worked across the US economy could be automated, a trend accelerated by generative ai.
Profiles such as office support, accounting, banking, sales or customer service are the first in line towards automation. Generative ai that augments software developers in code writing and testing workflows has already impacted the job roles of junior developers.
Their results are often considered a good starting point for an expert to further improve the result, for example when creating marketing copy, promotional content, etc.
Some narratives make this transformation seem subtle by highlighting the possibility of new jobs, such as those in healthcare, science and technology, being created in the near or near term; and specialists in ai ethics, ai governance, audits, ai security, and more to make ai a reality across the board. However, these new jobs cannot outnumber those being replaced, so we must consider the net new jobs created to see the ultimate impact.
AGI
Then comes the possibility of AGI, which, like the multiple definitions of intelligence, deserves a clear meaning. Generally, AGI refers to the stage in which machines acquire human-like sentience and awareness of the world.
However, AGI is a topic that deserves a separate publication and is not within the scope of this article.
For now, we can follow the diary of DeepMind’s CEO to understand its first signs.
<img decoding="async" alt="Will ai replace humanity?” width=”100%” src=”https://technicalterrence.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/1701003969_420_Will-AI-replace-humanity-KDnuggets.png”/><img decoding="async" src="https://technicalterrence.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/1701003969_420_Will-AI-replace-humanity-KDnuggets.png" alt="Will ai replace humanity?” width=”100%”/>
Fountain: Fortune
good assistant
From a broader perspective, it is smart enough to help humans identify patterns at scale and generate efficiencies.
Let’s substantiate this with the help of an example where a supply chain planner analyzes various details of an order and works to ensure that those at risk suffer a shortfall. Each planner has a different approach to managing shortfall deliveries:
- Analyze attributes such as the amount of inventory on hand
- What is the expected demand from other customers during that period?
- Which customer or order should be prioritized over others?
- Have war room discussions with other factory managers to facilitate availability of items.
- Working on routing route optimization from specific distribution centers.
As an individual planner might be limited in their vision and approach to managing such situations, machines can learn the optimal approach by understanding the actions of many planners and help them automate simple scenarios through their ability to discover patterns.
This is where machines have an advantage over humans’ limited ability to simultaneously manage multiple attributes or factors.
Mechanic
However, machines are what they are, that is, mechanical. They cannot be expected to cooperate, collaborate, and develop compassionate relationships with teams as empathetically as great leaders do.
I often engage in lighter team discussions, not because I have to, but because I prefer to work in an environment where I am connected to my team and they know me well too. It is too mechanical to talk only about work from the beginning or to try to act according to what is important.
<img decoding="async" alt="Will ai replace humanity?” width=”100%” src=”https://technicalterrence.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/1701003969_909_Will-AI-replace-humanity-KDnuggets.png”/><img decoding="async" src="https://technicalterrence.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/1701003969_909_Will-AI-replace-humanity-KDnuggets.png" alt="Will ai replace humanity?” width=”100%”/>
Source: Canva
Lack of empathy
Let’s take another example where a machine analyzes a patient’s records and reveals a health problem as it exists after his medical diagnosis. Compare this to the way a doctor would handle the situation carefully, simply because he has emotions and knows what it feels like to be in a crisis.
The most successful healthcare professionals go beyond their “Call of Duty” and develop a connection with the patient to help them through difficult times, when machines are no good.
No moral compass
Machines are trained with data that could capture the underlying phenomenon and create models that better estimate them.
At some point in this estimation the nuances of specific conditions are lost. They do not have a moral compass, similar to the one a judge has when analyzing each case.
In short, machines can learn patterns from data (and the bias that comes with them), but they don’t have the intelligence, drive, or motivation to make fundamental changes to handle the problems plaguing humanity. They are goal-focused and based on human intelligence, which is complex.
This ai-totally-replacehuman-beings” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>phrase It sums up my thoughts well: ai can replace human brains, not human beings.
Vidhi Chugh is an ai strategist and digital transformation leader working at the intersection of product, science, and engineering to build scalable machine learning systems. She is an award-winning innovation leader, author and international speaker. Her mission is to democratize machine learning and break down the jargon so everyone can be a part of this transformation.
