In this 2017 article written for Xorlogic, author Aisha Javed compares artificial intelligence and human intelligence, and expounds on his position that AI and human intelligence have different purposes to fulfill. In sum, Javed believes that AI development has forgotten that the purpose of AI is to help humans in their daily lives, particularly in tasks that are highly technical and are in need of efficiency. We, humans, according to Javed, have an “irrevocable competitive advantage – our ability to experience feeling, to understand others, to anticipate their expectations, and to guess their fears.”
Implications for AI
Humans are more than just their brains. Our entire bodies are imbibed with intelligence that is beyond logic. Unlike other life forms on earth, human beings are unique in that we are able to interact and consciously form relationships with others, whether plants, animals, or other human beings. Through relationship building, we have developed technologies that mimic nature, and which has enabled us to reach the current state of our society.
To fully integrate AI in the society, and for societies to take advantage of all its benefits, we must, as a collective, remember why AI was developed in the first place – to free up valuable human resource from menial tasks so that they can pursue higher goals.
Agriculture gave our ancestors food security. They were freed up from the difficult task of hunting and gathering, and hence, had more than enough time to dream and pursue new interests. They built cities and architectural marvels which continue to stand today as a testament to the greatest feats
Agriculture has led us to create new inventions, and later on, when our knowledge of the external world was systematized, brought about the Industrial Revolution and the modern world. In the same way, AI, when used for the good, will help ease the burden of economics on those who would like their explore their full capacities as humans. It will be a necessary instrument for all humans to discover their creativity, and for creation to continue and flourish.