In the fascinating and complex era we find ourselves in, the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) promises to profoundly revolutionize our way of living, working, and thinking. However, as we immerse ourselves in this new technological territory, we find ourselves at a crossroads: should we wholeheartedly embrace innovation, or should we exercise reflective caution regarding its implications? The debate rages on, with divided opinions reflecting an emerging dualism between fervent supporters and staunch critics of AI.
Yet, amid this polarization, there is room for deeper and more neutral reflection, exploring our evolving relationship with AI without judgments and preconceptions. This article aims to reflect on this phenomenon, attempting not to take sides but rather examining how artificial intelligence can influence not only our productivity and efficiency but also our human creativity and ingenuity. In this era of transition as we venture into this new technological frontier, it is essential to explore the potential for a healthy and synergistic relationship between artificial intelligence and our humanity, so we can embrace the future with wisdom and awareness.
One of the most recurring phrases we often come across is “Artificial intelligence will steal our jobs” or “we will become slaves to the machines.” But is it really so, or has it simply become a sort of mantra for some?
Of course, it is impossible to predict, but it is certainly too early to draw such conclusions. Every time there has been a significant change in a historical moment, great fears towards the unknown have emerged, often towards machines. Looking to the past, we can see how every technological advancement has led to a restructuring of work sectors and the creation of new opportunities.
The assembly line of the 20th century, although initially causing fears about the replacement of human labor, ultimately contributed to greater efficiency and unprecedented economic growth. Similarly, the advent of computers led to the creation of entire industries based on information technology, offering new job possibilities and innovation.
Could it be that in the era we are entering, and with each era requiring adaptation to change, AI will instead be an aid with which to create new jobs (and new values) at a time when many things are crumbling?
Beyond ChatGPT, now the text-based chat AI par excellence, other concrete examples of AI within our reach can be found in apps like DALL-E, developed by OpenAI, an app based on an AI algorithm that generates images of any kind from textual inputs.
In the video field, we will soon have SORA, an AI developed by OpenAI capable of generating high-quality videos from textual inputs. Here it is presented: https://openai.com/index/sora.
In the music field, we have AI generators like Boomy, Soundraw, Aiva, and Flow Machine, which are revolutionizing the world of music production as they can generate melodies, lyrics, or entire songs based on user inputs in terms of style, genre, and personal tastes.
Here’s an example of a song entirely created using FlowMachine, which today has over 3 million views on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSHZ_b05W7o&t=75s.
In more advanced fields, such as robotics, Boston Dynamics has made giant strides with advanced robot models like Spot and Atlas. These robots can perform a variety of complex tasks, from exploration in difficult conditions to support in search and rescue operations.
We find a meeting point between AI and robotics in an interesting project born from the collaboration between the company Figure (https://www.figure.ai/), which I recommend exploring, and OpenAI. The project combines the Figure 01 model with OpenAI’s AI algorithm model. Here’s the first result: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq1QZB5baNw.
Returning to the core of the reasoning, we notice how many technologies are becoming obsolete, and consequently, fewer people will work on them. At the same time, new technologies are emerging, and at an increasingly rapid pace, implying new technical knowledge, new studies, trained people teaching, and new realities to explore.
Just think of the evolution that worlds like gaming and e-sports have had: today, we have real championships, international tournaments, global circuits moving millions of dollars, young paid gamers living off it, major investors creating real “sports” companies revolving around the fantastic world of video games—a technological reality that was initially heavily demonized and today is one of the most profitable businesses existing, so much so that it was recently proposed as an Olympic discipline. We will discuss this topic in another article.
This is just one of many examples of technology once feared but has created numerous opportunities and today makes many people happy. Thanks to platforms like Twitch, YouTube, or other streaming channels, video games have become real TV entertainment: millions of people broadcast their gaming sessions live, create content to entertain and gain new followers every day, giving anyone the opportunity to approach this world accompanied by someone who explains it to them, describes how they feel, gets excited live, does coaching, answers questions, and chats with followers, keeping each other company.
Needless to say, these have also become real jobs.
Nowadays, many families live comfortably because their children have become well-off or wealthy by creating content for their communities every day. Have you ever lived in an era where your minor child could potentially buy you the house of your dreams simply by playing video games from their bedroom?
Many young people have had the chance of a lifetime by being in environments where they feel good doing something they love and are passionate about, a real activity they manage without adhering to anyone else’s schemes, transmitting this passion and feeling to the whole world, simply being themselves, for better or worse.
Do you remember when people were labeled as loafers, antisocial, or failures because they played too many video games? I would love to know how those people feel now.
These examples are just a few and illustrate how we are continually evolving, keeping up, and showing how much we should trust young people instead of trying to demoralize or judge them because these individuals are advancing the world in every field, from science to agriculture, often thanks to technology and now AI.
In a moment of crisis and red alerts in various fields, especially energy and climate, we must remember that this generation still has the potential to improve the future. At every evolutionary step, we have always been accompanied by technology.
Let’s return to AI now, but first, let’s ask ourselves: what historical point have we reached amid conflicts on a global scale (which we have no intention of discussing), climate red alerts, conspiracy psychosis, and distrustful attitudes among ourselves? Has technology done anything directly to bring us to this point? But above all, have we used it well?
With these questions, I want to emphasize that everything is relative to how we behave and how we use technology. We need to analyze the approach we are already taking with AI, often flawed both positively and negatively.
We have examples where there is already strong demonization regarding machines, cases where small delivery robots are physically attacked on the streets. Another fear is that AI, often associated with robots, will take over, that a sort of robotic consciousness will arise, becoming a new dominant race destined to subjugate humans.
Or the side that almost worships AI, relying on it entirely for every aspect of life, cases where people don’t even think to write captions for simple personal photos of experiences or landscapes but paradoxically communicate to an AI how they felt in those moments. The risk of becoming lazy and increasingly relying on AI for reasoning is high.
These things, on a human level, are significant. I believe we must first develop a true consciousness, a personal ethics regarding AI, before approaching or “using” it. We must keep the flame of human intellect and will alive.
I think the best approach is not to take sides with any of these “factions” that are forming. Instead, I believe the best approach is to work on ourselves and try, if we have the intention, to understand how we want to approach the world of AI, what kind of relationship we want to develop, and then generate intuition and consciousness related to it.
Environmental and climate alarms are not few, and conflicts are certainly not lacking at this moment. I believe that what can endanger the human race right now is only the human race itself and the way it treats the planet.
Can we rely on AI to find new ways to develop increasingly advanced technologies, alternative renewable energy sources, or learn to use existing ones better? Will they help us develop new ways of social interaction, improve our logical sense, or advance scientific and medical research?
In an era where everything flows quickly, perhaps we need to think not only in a dystopian sense but also in a utopian one. Perhaps a better society is possible; maybe it just takes logical reasoning to get there, and who better than an AI without consciousness (for now, hehe) can help us in this sense?
In conclusion, the future of artificial intelligence depends on our ability to find a balance between innovation and responsibility. We must be ready to embrace the transformative potential of AI but also to face the challenges and uncertainties it entails. By maintaining an open and aware approach, we can shape a future where artificial intelligence works alongside us to improve our society and well-being. Only through active collaboration and critical reflection can we fully realize the potential of artificial intelligence and ensure a better future for all.
PS: This article was written with the help of ChatGPT 3.5 by OpenAI, but none of these reflections were made by an AI, and even the writing style is not ChatGPT’s but was given precise inputs to maintain my exact way of writing. Can you recognize its intervention? The fact is I never felt replaced in this process.