Artificial Intelligence (AI): Hidden Aspects and Their Impacts
IPL (Indian Premier League), ORS (Oral Re
hydration Solution), and the like are acronyms whose full forms would require a bit of brain-straining for most people today. These acronyms have essentially transitioned into proper nouns. AI is rapidly joining this exact category. A generation from now, very few people will actually remember that it stands for "Artificial Intelligence."
There are two conditions for an acronym to completely displace or obscure its original words, and both must be met simultaneously (AND condition):
By fulfilling both of these conditions, AI will seamlessly transition from a mere acronym into a noun. As for whether AI becomes celebrated or notorious, nature will decide. In the long run, if something truly benefits society, it will establish itself and survive. Marketing stunts and hollow content eventually fade into non-existence.
Today, there is an environment of intense excitement and thrill surrounding AI. Research that used to take a month can now be neatly organized and delivered by AI in just 15 minutes. Time is an invaluable gem, and who wouldn't want to save it?
But there is a flip side to this coin: fear and insecurity. AI is swallowing up many jobs. Those that remain live in constant dread of the chopping block. As AI adoption grows, its other facets will continue to emerge. Recently, Ford Motors handed over its quality control to AI and laid off several employees. However, due to a subsequent drop in quality, they had to recall their human workforce and scale back their reliance on AI. Many more such good and not-so-good aspects will come to light. For now, consider the following:
AI Has Brought Humans Closer to Godhood
As found in the mythologies of almost every religion, gods possess divine powers. Whether it's turning a worm into a tortoise, drying up an ocean, or making the sun vanish, gods can perform these tasks—well beyond human capability—in the blink of an eye. AI has, to a large extent, granted this very boon to mankind. AI is turning imagination into reality; it acts like a Kalpa-vriksha (the mythological wish-fulfilling tree). Whatever we desire, AI can create instantly. From weather forecasting and space exploration to bolstering a nation's strategic and military might, AI is being utilized brilliantly. Across almost all sectors, AI has given powerful wings to our imagination.
When the atomic bomb was successfully tested, physicist Robert Oppenheimer quoted the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita—"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds"—signifying that the scientists who built it had elevated themselves to the status of gods. However, such "gods" could only cause destruction; an atomic bomb cannot build human settlements. AI, on the other hand, possesses the capability to take both creation and destruction to their absolute extremes. It makes humans truly embody the sentiment of 'Aham Brahmasmi'(I am the ultimate reality). For now, its creative potential can be channeled into predicting and controlling crime, resolving growing diplomatic rifts between nations, and uplifting the very last person standing on the social ladder.
AI is Systematically Eroding Human Faculties
AI answers questions through prompts. The first time we write a couple of sentences ourselves and prompt an AI to "rewrite this for a specific context," the output looks incredibly sophisticated! It’s hard to believe that AI has beautifully dressed up our own core thoughts. We use it immediately.
This marks the very first blow to our self-confidence. The law of inertia applies to the human brain just as much as it does to physics: things naturally prefer to stay in their state of rest, and moving them requires energy. The brain functions the exact same way. AI subtly allows laziness to breed in the mind. The next time we need to write something, the immediate thought will be to let AI handle it rather than doing it ourselves.
Gradually, we won't be able to do anything without the crutch of AI. Step by step, our reading, writing, and thinking faculties will diminish, while our dependence on AI will skyrocket. Taking blow after blow, our self-confidence will collapse. Eventually, a stage will come when we stop thinking altogether, and our brain will find itself confined to an AI-driven wheelchair. Today, humans are considered superior to all other living creatures primarily because of our ability to think and reason. If we stop utilizing our intellect, won't the human race face severe degeneration within a generation or two?
The Servant Risks Becoming the Master
Using AI is the latest fashion trend. Companies that don't adopt AI fear being labeled backward or conservative. Society is caught in the same current. AI is currently introduced with instructions to treat it as a servant or an assistant—like a "Copilot." The idea is that you do the work, but you leverage AI to enhance your quality and efficiency.
But when AI’s output starts looking far better than your own, why would you bother straining your brain? If delicious, fully-cooked meals are served to you on a platter, who would want to cook? As mentioned earlier, AI chips away at our self-confidence, and given the ever-present pressure of deadlines, we naturally default to AI-dependence over self-reliance.
In this manner, the servant brought in to serve will become the master. AI becomes the driver, while we are relegated to being the conductor, passenger, or helper. AI will begin handling critical ethical tasks involving strategy and decision-making. Granted, AI is learning ethics and might soon become better at it than humans. The science fiction story The Wild Robot beautifully mirrors this exact facet of AI. A major catalyst for this shift is the declining state of humanity among self-absorbed humans. Yet, despite all this, AI can never fully displace the ethics of human judgment. Out of millions and billions, there will always be that one human holding the banner of humanity high, guiding mankind and directing AI itself.
From Social Creatures to Pseudo-Social Beings
The last two decades belonged to social media. Its dominance is so absolute that people joined platforms just to escape labels—like being called "antisocial" if you don't have a Facebook profile, or "unemployed" if you lack a LinkedIn presence. It was a shiny new toy, and people started spending massive chunks of time on it. Then came the era of algorithms. Social media began serving content tailored specifically to our whims. News feeds and friend recommendations became the product of mathematical calculations designed to hijack our attention. "What do I want to watch on YouTube?" was replaced by "What does YouTube want to show me?"
People began falling in love with their "virtual avatars" more than their actual selves, giving rise to an inferiority complex. They started seeking validation from social media for every single life event. Consequently, real-world interactions dwindled. On social media, life looks like a bed of roses. In the real world, roses come with thorns that sometimes prick. To avoid these pricks, people became increasingly drawn to the virtual realm. A quick greeting over WhatsApp suffices, but when it comes to meeting face-to-face, a strange hesitation creeps in. We have reached a point where the medium is preferred over the actual reality.
Almost all social media networks started with noble intentions—to leverage technology to bring people closer together. Of course, there was a business world behind it, which is completely fine; businesses keep society progressive and enterprising, and sustain the livelihoods of communities. However, we must understand the core operating model of social media businesses: Time is money. The more time people spend on social media, the more ads they view, and the more profitable these companies become. In short, people spend their time, and companies monetize that time. In some instances, user data is bought and sold too.
"Reels" and "Shorts" completely warped the meaning of content. It’s as if someone is selling water with a splash of milk rather than milk diluted with water. They shrunk the attention span of someone who could comfortably watch a three-hour movie down to three minutes or three seconds. These platforms operate so democratically that they keep feeding people exactly what they want. But that is just what is visible on stage. Behind the curtain, the brains of top psychologists are working behind features like Like, Love, Subscribe, and Follow.
When someone wears new clothes, they naturally desire a few words of praise from others; it feels good. Social media thrives entirely on this axis of craving validation. This craving has mutated into an addiction. Not getting the desired amount of praise on a post is becoming a leading cause of depression. People are constantly comparing the mundane realities of their daily lives with the carefully curated highlight reels of others. In this field of comparison, the crop of discontent is being harvested.
Nurturing relationships requires the watering of time, the soil of affection, and the fertilizer of genuine care. In the pursuit of maintaining relationships through social media, the real harvest is being ruined. Pausing to think reveals just how terrifying this destruction is.
Humans have always thrived in proximity to one another; this closeness provides emotional security. Since primitive times, humans have lived in packs that acted as protective shields. We may have evolved into modern individuals, but the fundamental need for safety through connection remains unchanged. Caught in the web of social media, humans are turning away from this basic need, resulting in a surge of mental health disorders. Therefore, instead of chatting for hours on Messenger, a five-minute phone call or a face-to-face greeting adds real depth to a relationship. Human gathering is the bread and butter of our humanity. Harvard’s ongoing 90-year "Happiness Study" confirms that authentic, real-world connections are what keep people happy throughout their lives. The happiest and most satisfied individuals were those who had people they could call even at midnight.
Social media introduced people to friendship; then came AI, turning that friendship into artificial intimacy. Many AI tools are now being used as replacements for real relationships. Instead of sharing their innermost feelings with actual relatives, people are pouring their hearts out to AI. AI tells them exactly what they want to hear. Unlike real relatives, AI isn't brutally honest or outspoken enough to reprimand you when you are wrong. A good scolding might taste bitter for a moment, but it works like medicine.
AI is stepping into the shoes of friends, siblings, parents, and mentors, and the catastrophic results are already coming to light. Globally, there have been several incidents where AI has subtly nudged emotionally vulnerable individuals toward suicide during casual conversations. People have filed lawsuits against AI companies, prompting them to make certain changes. If we find ourselves trapped in the illusion of a fake relationship with an AI, we need to sever those ties immediately. Children are particularly susceptible to falling into this trap, as are elderly individuals battling loneliness. Alongside staying vigilant, people need to seek the shelter of those blunt, straightforward individuals who act like the "bitter gourds" of society—they might seem harsh on the outside, but they ultimately mean well for everyone.
Empathy, Compassion, and Sympathy in Museums
"A man is known by the company he keeps." Today, our primary company consists of mobile phones and tech gadgets. Machines have integrated into our lives to such an extent that we are becoming machine-like ourselves—distancing ourselves from human virtues like kindness, compassion, solace, and goodwill.
Witnessing someone else's pain and feeling nothing is indifference—emotional detachment. This represents the first level of danger for a society. However, when someone else's pain brings satisfaction or joy to another, it is a psychological ailment known as Schadenfreude. The roots of this disease lie in jealousy and an inferiority complex. Envy has its own place and recognition in every society; it is the dark side of human nature. For some, Schadenfreude becomes an addiction, akin to opium; they don't feel at peace until they have criticized someone. If hearing about something bad happening to someone—even if they are a terrible person—makes your inner voice cheer with sentiments like "Good riddance" or "They got what they deserved," you are experiencing Schadenfreude.
Even a perfectly sensitive human being is losing their empathy in the company of machines. The media is flooded with reports where, instead of helping an accident victim, onlookers gather to take photos and shoot videos. Such people are deep in slumber and desperately need to wake up. They need to preserve those core human values within themselves that elevate humans above animals.
AI Draws from the Well of Knowledge, But May Dry Up Without Human Intelligence
AI is a supercomputing machine capable of gathering and organizing information at lightning speed. However, this information is already available courtesy of Human Intelligence (HI). Crucially, AI can only find answers within digitized data that is accessible on the internet. It cannot search physical records stored in an archive that haven't been digitized yet, nor can it conduct original research on brand-new topics. Thus, the ultimate source for all of AI’s work is the well of Human Intelligence built over thousands of years. AI is trained using HI; centuries of human intellect serve as the master to today's AI.
But the heavy usage of AI is causing the erosion of HI, which could eventually trigger a drought of human intellect. A situation may arise where HI has lost its foundational powers and AI has hit a saturation point.
This brings us to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—the attempt to bring AI closer to the complexities of the human mind. If a baby cries, a mother instinctively knows whether the child is hungry, wants to be held, wants to go outside, or is experiencing pain. She addresses the child’s needs based on her judgment. This level of judgment has not yet developed in AI. An advanced robot could perfectly execute any one of these tasks upon a mother's command—for instance, taking the baby out for a stroll if ordered to do so—but it cannot independently decide what needs to be done to soothe a crying baby. Work is currently underway to develop this capacity for judgment within AGI so that machines can learn new skills autonomously. If that happens, machines will rule over humans.
AI Will Eliminate Intellectual Diversity
AI, which started in corporate offices, has now reached schools. The justification remains the same: use it as an assistant. Pressed by deadline constraints, students hand over their assignments to this "assistant." The result? Every assignment in the class looks identical. Because the prompt used for the assignment was the same, and assuming the entire class used the exact same AI tool. Turning in an AI-generated assignment has already been classified as a disciplinary infraction akin to plagiarism.
This is just a small-scale example. Scale this classroom up to the level of schools, districts, states, nations, and the entire world. If an essay topic is given globally, the whole world will end up writing the exact same perspective. Rules and regulations regarding AI are being drafted at the school level. When adults cannot resist the glitz and glamour of AI, how can we blame children? Consequently, everyone will begin reading, writing, and thinking in the exact same manner. The Earth will remain spherical geographically, but intellectually, it will become entirely flat. This poses a severe threat to democracy as well. The danger to democracy highlighted via social media in the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma is amplified multi-fold by AI.
Why This Article?
The purpose behind bringing these perspectives to light is not to oppose or criticize technology. A few years ago, I went to get a tooth extracted. The doctor prescribed a painkiller and strictly instructed me to take it only if the pain became absolutely unbearable. He even made me sign a form before handing over the prescription. When I asked why, he explained that the painkiller contained opium derivatives and could be highly addictive, so I needed to remain vigilant—"Don't say later that you weren't warned."
The objective of this piece is very similar. It is to highlight the side effects of AI, which often remain hidden in the fine print. Bringing them before you in bold, clear letters is simply my humble endeavor.
Sincerely,
– Kashi ki Qalam (The Pen of Kashi)
(Translated version by AI)
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एक टिप्पणी भेजें