By ROBERT JUMPER
Tutiyi/Clyde, N.C.
I sometimes wonder if we need anything else to make us think less. As my mind begins to age, it takes longer to pull up information from my noggin than it used to and sometimes, I can’t find it at all. Speaking of finding stuff, last night I was scrolling through my cell phone messages and got distracted for a moment. I saw something on the phone that made me think that I needed to do a web search. Immediately, I wondered where my phone was so that I could search it. It was only for a moment, but in that moment, I didn’t realize that the phone was in my hand as I had been scrolling through my messages.
This small, funny break in thought, I believe, would be much more prevalent, and serious, if I did not constantly challenge my brain. Give it a little exercise, if you will. I enjoy reading and writing (both for work and pleasure). I am an antique hobbyist. I enjoy researching old finds and studying the history of people, places, and things. My kind and courteous wife sits, listens, and is even interested in my ramblings about this or that I have found in a book or acquired from an antique shop. It is a good feeling for me to be able to discuss with friends and colleagues the many wonders of this world. I love listening to various viewpoints, particularly those that challenge my own thoughts.
I believe that knowledge is a key element in the development of wisdom. Some think those are the same thing. They are not. Take this unattributed quote from a t-shirt, “Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.” Granny used the term “common sense” when talking about wisdom. Oxford puts it this way (actually three ways). “Wisdom is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise. “Wisdom is the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, wisdom, and good judgment. Wisdom is the body of knowledge and principles that develops within a specified society or period.”
You may know all kinds of statistics and data, making you very knowledgeable, but if you have no clue how or where to apply that information to make sound decisions, its value is questionable.
Our world is slowly but surely increasing its dependency on artificial intelligence (AI). Back in the day, it might take months or years for our neck of the woods to see innovations like AI. But today, information and innovation move at the speed of light. As soon as an innovation like AI becomes popular, worldwide integration only takes a few moments.
And for those of us who are techno-challenged, here is a brief definition of AI. “Artificial intelligence (AI) is the theory and development of computer systems capable of performing tasks that historically required human intelligence, such as recognizing speech, making decisions, and identifying patterns. AI is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide variety of technologies, including machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing.” (Coursera)
Like machine automation, integration of artificial intelligence is coming in like a steamroller, and for the same reason. Businesses benefit from removing humans from the business equation. Humans as a workforce tool are incredibly inefficient. They want pay, benefits, sick and vacation leave, etc. Give a machine a little oil and replace a part or two, and you don’t have to worry about machines unionizing (yet). You can easily see why minor and major manufacturers jumped on the automation bandwagon.
Time magazine reported in 2020, in an article titled “Machines and AI Are Taking Over Jobs Lost to Coronavirus”, that a study estimated that about 400,000 jobs were lost to automation in U.S. factories from 1990 to 2007. Ransom Olds thought of and presented ideas of automated assembly in 1901. Then Henry Ford built those ideas into real machinery that could do the work of several men and could assemble cars so completely that human hands were only necessary to run the computer, and typically only a couple of hands were required to produce an entire line of vehicles. A gentleman named Victor Scheinmen moved robotic tech into the modern age, enhancing quality and output of mass production and goods. (Norwalt)
We are an impatient society. And business plays on that impatience. We are willing to make sacrifices, or better yet, make others make sacrifices, to get what we want when we want it.
I have recently received press releases from various entities that are very likely written by AI applications. AI tech is a learning tech, which means it needs input to be effective, especially when it comes to writing things like articles and press releases. If the user doesn’t put in enough information, AI compensates with adjectives and pulls generic information on a subject from the Internet to fill in the blanks of more specific information about a subject. For example, I accessed a web AI application (ChatGPT) and in the prompt area, I typed “Write a press release about the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Cherokee Indian Fair”. That is all that I provided. The app dutifully, and within seconds, spit out what it thought an EBCI Cherokee Indian Fair release would look like. In the absence of any more detail, the program wrote about an “unforgettable experience, mesmerizing rhythms, thrilling rides, etc.” Vague enough to be perceived as a true, albeit fuzzy, picture of what a Cherokee Fair might look like. No detail. No really useful information. Unless a user inputs several details and adjusts the tone of the AI program, it is easy to spot a piece of writing that has been produced by artificial intelligence. Those of us who are familiar with books and movies like Terminator, IRobot, and 2001 are beginning to feel a cold chill about now.
Science Fiction was and is often a forerunner of things to come. In 1966, D.F. Jones wrote a book titled “Colossus”. I read it when I was a teenager. The premise “revolves around supercomputers taking control of mankind. The main plot centers on Charles Forbin, who creates Project Colossus-a powerful computer system designed to control the United States’ nuclear arsenal. When an unknown similar computer emerges in the Soviet Union, tensions escalate as the two supercomputers demand direct communications and wield nuclear power.” Farfetched? Maybe not. “So far, there have been 6 fatal accidents where the driver was using the autopilot (AI). In addition to this, two pedestrians have been killed by autonomous vehicles. The first death caused by an autonomous (AI) vehicle happened in Florida in 2015. A Tesla Model 5 using Autopilot failed to recognize an 18-wheeler, and the driver died in the ensuing collision. The first death of a pedestrian occurred in 2018, an Uber autonomous vehicle crashed in Tempe, Arizona, killing a woman pushing her bike through a crosswalk. (Sensiblemotive.com)”
Professor David Raffo (Business Engineering and Computer Science, Portland State University), noted that his students were showing a marked difficulty in interacting, engaging, and declining quality of written assignments, until the pandemic. At home in isolation, the students discovered AI writing tools. “I realized it was the tools that improved their writing and not their writing skills. We have a real problem on our hands when the digital revolution impacts social discourse, engagement, and written communications. When we let AI do the work, we pass on the opportunity to exercise important parts of our brains. Our mental and cognitive capabilities are like muscles, so they need to be regularly used to remain strong and vibrant. Creativity is one of those muscles that must be exercised.”
Professor Toby Walsh, a leading AI expert, says there is evidence that we’re getting dumber, and the proof is already there. “For many years, people were getting smarter. Now studies show this effect is reversing. Leading up to the 1990s, IQ scores were consistently going up, but in recent years, that trend seems to have flipped.”
Professor Raffo adds, “Until there are regulations or guidelines for the use of AI, it will fall to individuals and families to determine how they use AI in their personal and professional lives.” (Information Age)
Final thought: I asked ChatGPT to “write an article on the negative effects of AI”. It wrote about ethical concerns, job displacement, privacy concerns, psychological impacts, security risks, and environmental costs. What made me a little nervous was that ChatGPT chose also to defend itself by saying, “By fostering a collaborative approach that includes policymakers, industry leaders, and the public, we can harness the benefits of AI while mitigating its adverse consequences, ensuring a future where technology serves the greater good.” I am pretty sure that is what VIKI (Virtual Interactive Kinetic Intelligence) said in IRobot just before they attacked humanity. Simply put, don’t let AI keep you from thinking for yourself. Your personal intelligence may end up being artificial.
