A SOMBRE WARNING...

For a long time, I have had a feeling of discomfort when reading about AI, and of late a deepening concern regarding the increasing dependence on this tool/entity.

As a writer, I can quickly identify an authentic, human script vs an AI generated one.

Some of my concerns are the shrinking of brain mass in humans because of lack of use, the insidious usurping human intelligence, the loss of the ‘soul’ in written works, etc.

Prof Stephen Hawking warned that artificial intelligence could end mankind’ (2 December, 2014). "Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn't compete and would be superseded". This warning came in response to a question about a revamp of the technology he uses to communicate, which involves a basic form of AI. Prof Hawking says the primitive forms of artificial intelligence developed so far have already proved very useful, but he fears the consequences of creating something that can match or surpass humans.

A while ago we watched a movie where loving parents gave their young daughter a robot to keep her company. It seemed a perfect solution; the robot looked like a little girl, could speak, walk etc. The twist came when this delightful little robot assumed a dominating, dangerous personality when alone with the little girl. Obviously, this was total fiction but I suspect that the theme was expressing the dark side of creating robots.

So the dilemma we are facing is; what ‘advancement’ is good and will benefit humanity? And, what ‘advancement’ will lead to the demise of humanity as we know it?