The advancement in technology in our time, in fact, in every sphere of human life, has given rise to many technological breakthroughs, since robots now perform the duties of humans, expressly. Artificial Intelligence suddenly has become the new normal and is gradually changing the behavioural pattern of most developed countries, especially those in constant search for innovations. In today’s world, vehicles that are self-driven now adorn the streets of advanced climes, including, Europe, America, Asia etc, even as many more research works are ongoing, probably to alter the course of nature.
While we acknowledge that nature is in constant flux, given that complex tasks hitherto performed by humans are now conveniently undertaken by robots, points to the fact that, this emerging trend of civilisation must be embraced with caution because of concerns already expressed. For example, AI raises questions about the use of machine in decision making and its potential impact on human autonomy, privacy, and human rights. A question was asked; ‘’If AI is used in criminal justice, health care, finance and other critical areas of human endeavour, how would the issue of bias and discrimination in decision making, algorithms be addressed?
There are also concerns about the use of AI in surveillance and its capability for it to be used to infringe on nations and individual’s rights. Similarly, AI raises yet, other questions about the nature of consciousness, intelligence, with a view to what it means to be human. There is palpable fear already that as AI advances and is embraced by societies of the world that it may eventually surpass human intelligence and become a new form of life, interestingly! Apart from that also, the increasing use of AI in the work place, again raises questions about the future of job creation and what it means to be employed in a workplace, and in a world where machines can perform many tasks and faster too, that were previously done by humans.
All these assertions have implications, and in fact, have elicited comments on the need for a new form of education and training to prepare people ahead of time for the changing job market that is inevitable. However, no one scientific discovery would solve the multiple problems confronting man, rather what the world requires is collective approach to tackle man-made problems in our world of today. The knowledge of science comes from God, as such, must be applied to solving scientific problems and not to pitch man against God. Using machines to perform duties naturally reserved for man, whether now or in the future, would exacerbate the problems of hunger and insecurity threatening the world. Man, since creation is required to work and not to idle away.
AI as science discovery made by man should stand alone. On this occasion of World Communications Day, we recall Pope Benedict XVI’s declaration that “human beings are by definition, mortal; by proposing to overcome every limit through technology, in an obsessive desire to control everything, we risk losing control over ourselves, in the quest for an absolute freedom, we risk falling into the spiral of a technological dictatorship’’. Much as we applaud scientific discoveries in our world, we caution thatAI should not take every aspect of our lives, because the growing population of the world must be productively engaged. Machines should not replace humans who, in fact, are the creators of these devices and gadgets that we all applaud and celebrate.
