Humanity is Not Replaceable by Artificial Intelligence, but Might Improve It

This morning I was attempting to commute to work on the broken-down public metro with hundreds of other people, but I found a silver lining in the situation and used the train’s Wi-Fi to get some work done. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find several documents that I needed for a project and lost valuable hours of productivity.

However, solutions to both of the major issues that affected my morning’s efficiency can be found in artificial intelligence (AI).

Earlier this month, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, warned attendees at the National Governors Association that AI could be the end of humanity and result in an existential crisis for humans.

“AI is a fundamental existential risk for human civilization, and I don’t think people fully appreciate that,” Musk said.

I find it disheartening that a man known for his innovation would have such a cynical view on this technology. I disagree with the premise painted by  that AI and humans are somehow meant to be pitted against each other.

Simply put, AI cannot exist, function or evolve without humans. Humans can, however, exist, function and evolve without AI. The great thing is, that with artificial intelligence, we can do those three things better.

The definition of artificial intelligence, according to Britannica, is “The theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.”

Consider my situation this morning. FogHorn Systems has a platform that can track, assess and send data from Industrial Internet of Things environments in real-time using AI, which can ultimately help industries, like the metro, detect issues in the system before they happen and let employees know so that they can isolate and solve the problem  before a breakdown occurs. This can keep schedules intact, productivity uninterrupted and customers happy.

Meanwhile, M-Files Corporation focuses on intelligent information management of enterprise data and documents. Their platform utilizes AI to help find important business documents instantly based upon the document’s metadata — topic, relevant teams, type of document, location, etc. This saves employees from wasting valuable working hours searching for documents and information, giving them more time to innovate and produce high-quality work.

AI has the potential to aid humans in eliminating extra steps, addressing speed bumps, and coping with the tedious work that keeps them from living and working their most productive lives. With AI helping us to address avoidable setbacks, humans are free to stay focused and remain creative in their lines of work and their daily lives. The hope is that AI provides faster and more efficient solutions, which in turn allows humans to have more time to do things that keep them in touch with their humanity — spending time with friends and family, pursuing activities that focus on their passions, and maybe even pursuing further education.

AI can’t take anything from us unless we let it, but we can be sure to utilize its enormous potential to give us incredible advancements that lead to personal and professional growth.

By Whitney Urmann

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