The Fate of Technology
By ARYAN AGARWAL and AARYAN PATEL ‘27
Humans grapple with the future every day, planning and roadmapping life, hoping to eventually become “good people” in whatever sense they deem appropriate. Still, no matter how one attempts this sort of avatar building, disruptions are inevitable. As the world is already aware, innovative technology will tremble and morph the world that we are so comfortable with today. Your dream job may be gone tomorrow because of automation. Maybe you will find yourself using a robot to take your children to school. Accepting the great ability that technology has to embed itself into our lifestyle, planning its responsible development is crucial to making sure that we can maximize technology’s productive use. Questions about our future should continue to pervade our existence, but thoughts of how we may live in a technologically dominant world should never leave our minds. We all must work towards this world, ensuring that we truly can become “good people” and create a legacy of advancement.
Historically, the discussion of innovative technology has struck great emotion in the public. These feelings have diversity, with many fearing the future of technology and gripping onto the past, while others quickly beckon the future with a lack of caution, ripping apart our society. Rather than these extreme situations, we posit a middle ground, an ideology of optimism for technology that is controlled by questioning caution. Rather than blindly investing in artificial intelligence, we should be asking what the purpose of its applications are, and how we plan to use them for good. Humans should trust that we can use technology for improving lives, and focus on making it happen.
We begin by addressing the possibilities for our future, with the optimistic but careful lens that we have proposed. First, note that technology has power, but that power is merely a measurement of capability, and not necessarily the intent of this capability. Simply put, technology can be used for both good and bad. For example, without any regulations or guidelines regarding how AI can be used, powerful executives may use AI in a way that only benefits themselves, leaving adverse effects on the long-term goals of society as a whole.
On the other hand, overregulation of AI will slow the creation of innovative solutions to many of society’s biggest problems, and the market’s healthy competition. The current difference is how careful we must be with technology. The modern situation is one in which our technology has the power to wreak havoc on our world autonomously, meaning that if not handled delicately, we lose control over our creation. For navigating these often dangerous and foggy territories, we seek solace in the past.
Consider the example of the Internet. Jobs throughout the world were at risk during its development, and millions were worried about unemployment. They condemned the internet as the “replacement of humans,” which sounds familiar in many ways to our current situation. Online spreadsheets could now do calculations in a fraction of a second. People could receive world news with a click of a mouse. Bookkeepers, newsboys, and other professions alike must have wondered where they would go after this mysterious technology swept up their livelihood.
But, the issue with much apprehension regarding technology has one problem: people cannot expand their minds to realize that with technology, the world itself will evolve. The internet created new jobs and opportunities, though leaving others behind. It meant that the world was more connected and that human productivity could increase. Computer programming, online finance, and hundreds of other modern careers are now centered around the Internet. When used correctly, technology will advance our lives rather than slowing or reversing our progress.
Now, we consider our current situation. It is a bit different from some historical examples, for one reason: artificial general intelligence has the capability of fully replicating the thinking behaviors of humans. This idea is quite scary, as one ponders a simple question. What do humans do in a world where robots do everything? But like the internet, and other historical examples such as the automobile, the telegram, etc, we need to think of technology as a supplement to human life. Many mundane tasks that humans occupy themselves with will be automated, and we will be left with time to pursue actions that provide us with the most fulfillment. Jobs that value a “human touch,” will be valued, a quality some argue is unique to mankind. Creative applications of our skills such as filmmaking, literature, and other pursuits will be the new norm, all improved by but not replaced with AI.
Some will say that this is itself a mundane existence, but this is not true. Realistically, humans would rather do things that they are passionate about, tasks that are not repetitive, all so that they can provide for their family and themselves the most basic existence of food and shelter. Office jobs, supermarket receptionists, and other “replaceable” jobs will evaporate, while humans will exercise their more unique traits. This will be made possible only because AI will allow us to live worry-free about issues such as starvation, poverty, and overpopulation. We can trust it to manage and direct our civilization much better than humans themselves can, but this is only true if AI is developed responsibly.
By putting specific measures in place, society strikes a healthy balance between limiting AI’s danger to humans while also pushing it to reach its true potential.
