Terry Sarten: Forget AI – let’s develop our own intelligence

AI is clever but not as clever as we are, says Terry Sarten. Photo / 123RF

OPINION

Depending which side of the debate you are on, Artificial Intelligence or AI is either being talked up as a saviour or destroyer of life, creative work and the universe as we know it.

I am not sure whether the influence of AI was behind the print error in my column last week but it sure made a big difference in the meaning. The word “not” appeared instead of the word “now”. This changed the direction of an entire paragraph that was intended to say that “There is NOW clear evidence that recent flooding events will happen again and again requiring greater levels of financial rescue.”

The current advances in AI are clever but still fail to manage tasks we can do with our brains and bodies. The idea that some people are working to develop machines that can replace other people seems like another version of “why not because we can” – rather than advancing the human project.

We humans can do some very clever stuff. We have invented all sorts of ways to solve problems but it is not clear whether we are becoming more intelligent. Highly trained, skilled, intelligent people can save lives with complex health interventions. Diseases that virtually disappeared are now coming back because untrained, unscientific people are spreading false information that is not based in intelligent thought.

We have developed technologies that can bring people together from all over the world to help when disaster strikes. We can see tragedy and respond with human kindness. We can see both the devastating effects of increasing storms and rising sea levels and also see the lack of intelligent foresight by politicians to act and plan to avert the consequences of climate change. Artificial Intelligence cannot change the environment. Only humans can do that.

We can fight wars from great distances, killing people without ever needing to see their faces. The time, energy and sheer brain power that has been invested in developing ever increasingly sophisticated ways for humans to kill each other is evidence that we need to develop our own intelligence rather thaN an artificial version.

Genetically, the notion of “race” is redundant. We all share similar DNA and yet we conspire to consider a person who does not look like us as being “other” and not deserving our respect. Bigotry and prejudice demonstrate how human intelligence sometimes fails us.

It could be argued that AI cannot be biased because it cannot replicate human emotions. The frustration generated by an unco-operative machine is real but the machine feels nothing. It does not care. This also means AI cannot apply emotional intelligence to solving human problems. Our genetic inheritance gives us intelligence and the ability to be compassionate, to innovate and create. Humans will always be a work in progress.

- Terry Sarten (aka Tel) is a writer, musician and social worker. Feedback welcome: tgs@inspire.net.nz