Research | AI Integration: End or Enhancement of Humanity?

Introduction

With 37% of businesses worldwide already employing AI and an estimated complete integration by 2025, it is undoubtedly essential to question whether this is indeed the path humanity needs to take (“Are They Taking”). Inspired by Claude Brennon and Alan Turing’s books on computational intelligence, the term AI was officially coined in a 1955 conference at Dartmouth. However, the first significant victory benchmark of AI was in 1998 where IBM’s Deep Blue computer beat the world chess champion, Garry Kasparov. This victory established AI as a force to be reckoned with.

After this event, many wanted to see how one could implement AI in various fields to help citizens. In fact, after further research and revolutionary breakthroughs by renowned scientists, Google finally completed the blueprints of the Waymo project to develop the first automated car. In 2014, their car was the first automatic vehicle to pass the Nevada driver’s test. Furthermore, in 2016, Deep Mind’s AlphaGo, beat the world’s best Go player, which was another achievement because Go is an infinitely more complicated game than chess: as chess proceeds, the game becomes less complicated as pieces are taken off the board; however, in Go, pieces are added while the game passes, further complicating the variations of how a player could proceed (Press, “A Very Short”). Even in our daily lives, from voice assistants such as Siri to automatic vehicles, AI will, if not already, become a routine component. Whether this means helping you make decisions about which stocks to buy or merely providing the weather forecast for the next week, artificial intelligence will sooner or later have a grip on all of us if it remains on this current trajectory of development. Therefore, although some believe that artificial intelligence may pose threats to humanity and cause the loss of jobs, in actuality, it minimizes dangerous and tedious tasks, reduces the possibility of human error, and makes daily living more straightforward and productive.

Threat to Humanity?

One common concern with artificial intelligence is the belief that it threatens humanity. At the heart of this apprehension is the idea that artificial intelligence will surpass human intelligence, and it may then regard the human race as superfluous. Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking and renowned billionaire inventor Elon Musk have voiced this concern publicly. They expressed their fear that AI can reach a super-intelligent state, one that is uncontrollable by humans (“Robotics and Artificial”). Computer intelligence is growing exponentially, and reaching a super-intelligent state is likely in the foreseeable future. Conversely, human intelligence is relatively stagnant. Therefore, this theory presents a valid concern and a challenge for those who work with AI. Supporters of this theory reference AlphaZero as a case study justifying their concerns: “The Google Artificial Intelligence bot was invented and learned to play chess with 4 hours of time with no initial training models or datasets or code and ended up beating the best players in the world in a 100 game matchup” (“Will AI Be”). Since it only took four hours for an AI to beat a human in this game, many fear that it has the same potential to dominate the human race. While these concerns, on the surface, may seem valid, in reality, they are not necessarily warranted. Although impressive, mastering the game of chess is far more feasible with its limited choices. Whereas, evaluating life, with its infinite paths, would be significantly harder for AI to reach a quick conclusion that human extinction is the correct path. In fact, many scientists are devising methods to limit the scope of freedom for AI and essentially “enslave” them; they believe that humans need to maintain control for extinction to be categorically avoided. Furthermore, many notable celebrities and scientists have different predictions for the future of humans and machines. World-renowned inventor and futurist, Ray Kurzweil, wrote, in his book The Singularity is Near, what he believes is the next singularity (a point in time when technological growth is uncontrollable); he states that the next singularity will occur when humans and machines successfully merge with one another, a more optimistic prediction that severely differs from the extinction of humans. Therefore, although the fear of AI reaching a super-intelligent state is valid, this won’t lead to human extinction because we could limit AI’s scope of freedom or merge with them to create a super-race.

Loss of Jobs?

Many opposers of AI integration believe that the main issue is not the extinction of humans but the substantial loss of jobs. In fact, influential institutes such as McKinsey and Oxford have predicted “up to 20 million manufacturing jobs worldwide” could be lost to robots by 2030 (Press, “Is AI Going”), “25% of workers could be displaced” in rural areas, and “20% of workforces” in urban areas could be displaced as well (Press, “Is AI Going”). With its ability to complete tedious tasks with ease and due to its cost effectiveness, undoubtedly, the concern of AI overtaking jobs globally is valid. However, these statistics do not tell the whole story. Although America and other nations will experience hefty job loss due to AI, many experts believe there will be an equal, if not greater, amount of jobs created. According to the World Economic Forum, Gartner, and McKinsey, “automation will displace 75 million jobs but generate 133 million new ones worldwide by 2022...with sufficient economic growth, innovation, and investment” (Press, “Is AI Going”). Despite the substantial impact AI will have on the workforce, prominent economic institutions believe that there will be a net growth of jobs, which essentially addresses many theorists’ concerns. In addition, AI was not created to replace the jobs of humans, as many may suggest. Instead, establishing the symbiotic cooperation of robots and people, known as augmented intelligence, is the ideal state. Many innovators in various fields have been trying to achieve this; specifically, it has been seen “in the medical scene, [where] AI is largely used in the stages of diagnosis and even drug development and patient monitoring. The use of image recognition is more prevalent in healthcare because image recognition has become so good so fast” (Chong). AI’s goal was never to take over the human race but to help it, nurture it, and improve it to a better state where we can accurately assess situations and always remain well-informed. Furthermore, in addition to its use in the medical field, AI can be used in dangerous situations, potentially involving law enforcement, where it would help alleviate humans from performing hazardous tasks.

Minimization of Dangerous Tasks

One significant benefit of AI is its applicability in dangerous and tedious tasks previously performed by humans. For instance, law enforcement can use AI to assess situations and send physical robots to perform perilous tasks such as managing a fire, disarming a bomb, etc. In fact, a recent advancement in this field called the SmokeBot enables crews to safely measure fires' progressions. According to the Shadow Robot Company:

Something that sets the SmokeBot apart from other fire-ready robots is that it creates interior maps firefighters can use later to find their way around the building. It accomplishes this map-making feat with a combination of attachments, including a thermal camera and gas sensors. The U.S. Navy also has a firefighting robot that extinguishes flames on ships. That piece of equipment has arms that can open doors or use hoses to help fight and control the fire. Robots do not necessarily remove humans from the equation, but they can let firefighters know in greater detail what to expect. Then, it's easier for those professionals to prepare or call for more assistance when needed. ("How Robots Are")

In such cases, these machines do not displace humans from current roles but "augment" their ability to perform these dangerous tasks.

Liberation From Dull Tasks

Moreover, beyond dangerous situations, AI will liberate humans from dull, repetitive, and tedious tasks that no one wants to or should have to do. Many experts, including leading MIT researcher Erik Brynjolfsson, have concluded that the main jobs AI robots will engage in are concierge assistants, mechanical drafters, morticians, undertakers, funeral directors, credit authorizers, and brokerage clerks (McKendrick). As AI assumes monotonous jobs, it will compel citizens to pursue higher education and increasingly apply for promising jobs. Consequently, jobs will not be lost, but the entire business process will be enhanced, where employees are working in mind-intensive, not labor-intensive roles. In fact, Brynjolfsson and his colleagues believe that theorists and futurists are having the wrong debate regarding AI: "instead of pondering how jobs will be wiped out, people need to focus on the redesign of jobs and re-engineering of business processes" (qtd. in McKendrick). The future doesn’t hold an elimination of jobs for humans, but rather a reimagining of humans’ roles within the workforce. Dr. Irving Wladawsky-Berger, a well-informed observer and former IBM mover, agrees with this statement and Brynjolfsson's prediction; he asserts that some jobs "are more susceptible to automation, while others require judgment, social skills, and other hard-to-automate human capabilities. But just because some of the activities in a job have been automated, does not imply that the whole job has disappeared" (qtd. in McKendrick). From a holistic perspective, AI's continuous integration into society has only served humanity with benefits by aiding firefighters, alleviating tedious jobs, and transforming current business processes for the better.

Reduction of Human Error

Because of the evident benefits in transforming current business processes and operations of law enforcement, AI has the potential to eradicate "human error" in all sectors. For example, in the IT workplace, AI continues to revolutionize productivity by ensuring online security. When observing common security problems, phishing emails have always appeared as a popular candidate among hackers and trolls. In a typical corporate environment, "an employee might follow instructions in a phishing email not only because it looks authentic, but that it conveys some urgency (usually from a manager or someone else of importance)" ("AI: A Remedy"). Of course, many have suggested that employee training can help reduce such errors, but combating the issue at its roots, through AI, will help block the email in the first place, mitigating any human error factors. Another central area of concern that has caused the loss of sleep for many IT professionals is data security. In fact, in a recent survey conducted with "over 500 IT professionals in the financial services industry, a whopping 94% said that they lack confidence in the ability of employees, consultants, and partners to safeguard customer data" ("AI: A Remedy"). Because of cybersecurity's complex domain, many of these professionals have made it painstakingly clear that traditional solutions--solely involving humans--have not been effective. However, new technology involving AI can be utilized in this sector to thoroughly protect an organization.

With a deeper look at AI’s role in the medical field, machine learning programs will ensure patients' correct diagnoses when data is unavailable or when there is not enough time for an individual to process the data. Specifically, artificial intelligence can combine data from patient files and identify patterns faster than medical professionals. Timing on specific diagnoses is essential when considering the rapid acceleration of cancer and other diseases that may fatally impact the body. The Technology Policy Institute explains a similar scenario where this may be applicable:

If a patient recovering from a routine operation develops sepsis, artificial intelligence could combine data about his previous health, the state of his immune system, and the type of operation he underwent with data on the effect of diuretics for previous patients with similar symptoms or who underwent similar operations. In contrast, a medical professional may not have as much information readily available, and, in any event, cannot process as much information as quickly. Paredes' experiments returned positive results. Artificial intelligence predicted with 78% accuracy the likelihood that a sepsis patient would die after 30-days of ICU discharge. (Romzek)

Without a doubt, when AI is incorporated into medical processes, both doctors and patients benefit. When time is of the essence, a doctor's 10-plus years of experience may not be enough to detect these patterns, so AI programs are legitimately vital, considering a human's life is on the line.

Daily Living is More Efficient

The increasing integration of AI in the automobile industry has vastly improved the sector. As America’s innovators continue to make progress in developing a fully automated, mass-produced vehicle, many car manufacturers have implemented more AI software in their cars to prevent human error on the road. Accidents have been so prevalent in our society that, according to the World Health Organization, "more than 1.25 million people die each year as a result of road traffic accidents" ("AI Safety: Correcting"). Automobile giants in the industry have realized that AI is the future of safe driving. Over the last decade, they have developed new safety features that utilize AI to prevent a driver from encroaching into a neighboring lane, crashing into another car because of a blindspot, and tailgating another vehicle. However, these are merely steps to reaching the complete integration of AI in a car: the self-driving vehicle. Many forward-thinking software companies have already created a few of these vehicles, but they are only in the testing stage; with time, they will be introduced into the market. Once fully integrated, "researchers estimate that driverless cars could, by mid-century, reduce traffic fatalities by up to 90 percent" When examining this further, the United States alone could effectively prevent nearly 300,000 fatalities over one decade and save 1.5 million lives in a half-century (LaFrance). Clearly, AI could be the key to preventing reckless driving and subsequent fatalities on the road. In addition to preventing human error behind the wheel, AI can also make daily living easier and more productive.

With the emergence of smart homes, we have benefited from what AI has to offer. Smart homes--homes that contain bulbs, appliances, and switches that can all be turned on and off from a single app or smart speaker--and assistants on our phones such as Siri have already been integrated into our daily lives. Specifically, the home security sector has utilized AI's growing power: millions of homes across the United States feature AI-integrated alarms, camera systems, and facial recognition software that can create a catalog of frequent visitors to your home. Furthermore, these systems are especially useful in emergencies because they can notify authorities and medics autonomously ("6 Ways AI"). As AI technology in the home security industry improves, more people will stay safe and conduct other activities worry-free. Within your house, another wave that has struck the U.S. market is smart devices because of its ability to 'remember' your user preferences and repeat them. When you are in your home, smart devices provide you an optimized home experience where the temperature, lighting, and coffee machine are in tandem with your daily routine. Furthermore, these AI devices will ensure that an unnecessary light is not on, driving "down your electricity bill and leav[ing] more time for you to enjoy the comforts of your home" ("AI and the"). From the examples above, it is clear that AI's future in many homes can make humans safe, productive, and efficient, benefiting society as more people adopt this new technology.

One place where you may least expect AI to dominate is social media. Social media was made to create interaction, learning, and connection. However, over the past decade, colossal social media companies--Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube--have utilized AI to provide you the most curated, specialized experience possible on their platform. According to HumansforAI: “When you engage with social media accounts and posts, the recommendation engine learns from your past activity, and then interprets patterns in your data to predict a list of accounts you could potentially interact with” (“The Impact of Artificial Intelligence”). This AI feature can be extremely useful for many users. For example, if I am a superfan of the New York Giants and watch videos associated with that organization, over time, YouTube’s AI algorithm will recognize this and provide me with relevant news and highlights ("AI and the Role"). Clearly, by enabling a user to receive the information pertaining to them, AI makes your daily content and news more curated than generic articles.

Conclusion

Though we do not realize it yet, AI is helping us in every aspect of our lives, from the phone’s virtual assistant to the feeds we see on Instagram and YouTube. If we successfully take the next steps in developing AI, we can replicate human intelligence processes in machines, providing humanity a priceless asset in various fields. By 2025, it can serve as a medical and safety tool, saving millions of lives by helping doctors and automating our vehicles. However, these examples are merely a drop in the bucket to the immense impact that AI can have on our society. Once we accept that AI must be integrated further into our daily lives, we will not only open the doors for progress in humanity but achieve what futurists call the next singularity: the merge of AI and human life. When this form of singularity is achieved, rapid, uncontrollable growth of innovation will permanently transform people’s lives for the better. Every person on the planet will always be well-informed, and if given a tough decision, AI tools can guide them to make choices in the statistically right direction. There is no doubt that once these floodgates are open, the possibilities will be limitless.

Sources: Technative, AI Mania, Faculty.AI, DataProt, Tech Policy Institute, Towards Data Science, Shadow Robot, The Atlantic, Forbes (1), Forbes (2), Forbes (3), Gale, Tech Policy Institute, News Scientist, Digitalist Mag, Medium | Humans for AI, Medium | Weeve, UK Essays