Merging with the machine
What awaits the human mind in the age of AI
Sergey Kolenov, Hi-tech+
In terms of its cultural significance, the emergence of artificial intelligence is comparable to the emergence of stone tools or writing. This means that the human mind is waiting for a new stage of "reformatting".
Humanity has come a long way from the African savannah to modern cities, and our ancestors have changed not only physically, but also intellectually. Many of the most important stages in the evolution of the human mind are associated with the emergence of innovations such as stone tools, speech, writing and paper. The creation of artificial intelligence can generate a new revolution – and in this case it will no longer be about using the tool, but about partnering with it, notes Medical Futurist (Will Human Intelligence As We Know It Disappear In The Age Of A.I.?).
Previous similar revolutions have repeatedly "reformatted" thinking. For example, the invention of writing by the Sumerians 3500-3000 BC and its spread reduced the need to memorize facts, figures and long texts.
As a result, the collective human mind has become richer, but the individual's ability to remember has decreased. The development of printing and then computers accelerated this process.
Modern man no longer remembers the birthdays of his friends, because they are stored in the memory of a smartphone or Facebook, although humanity as a whole has accumulated knowledge about gravitational waves and black holes.
Scientists continue to argue about whether human intelligence has increased or decreased, but no one denies that we have become dependent on complex technologies. In most cases, users don't even understand how the technique they rely on works. But this approach allowed us to achieve an unprecedented level of comfort.
Smartphone as a new organ
Some philosophers argue that personal computers and smartphones should be considered not as artificial objects, but as extensions of our personalities and minds. Andy Clark and David Chalmers, authors of the book "Advanced Intelligence", are inclined to this opinion.
Traditional cognitive science understands by "thinking" the process of manipulating symbols or neural calculations carried out by the brain. Clark and Chalmers accept this view, but note that various tools can be easily integrated into thinking – from a notepad to a smartphone. They significantly expand our capabilities. To realize the importance of such objects, imagine how helpless a modern person feels, deprived of a smartphone for just a day.
The theory of augmented intelligence asserts that technological "prostheses" need to be included in our concept of human intelligence. And with the advent of more and more advanced technologies, the boundary between them and man will become increasingly blurred.
On the other hand, the emergence of artificial intelligence for the first time in history transforms an instrument from a passive extension of the human body or mind into an active partner. From this point of view, for example, a drone is closer to a dog or horse than to an axe or hammer. And in an increasing number of industries, the AI partner performs the work so much better than a human that the latter turns out to be an unnecessary link.
However, while highly specialized artificial intelligence systems have received the greatest development. They do an excellent job with image recognition or natural language processing, but they are still far from fully imitating human consciousness. We may be separated from truly human-like AI by tens or even hundreds of years. In the meantime, the optimal scenario remains the interaction of humans and algorithms.
Perhaps, with the advent of artificial intelligence, the era of the independent existence of the human mind has really ended – and the future belongs to its combination with AI.
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