For the past couple of years I have been pooh-poohing AI and the “inevitable” changes it will bring to how we think, live, and do business. I have gone toe-to-toe—or rather brain-to-brain—with some of our local pioneers of technology, who have been willing to countenance my rebellion.
My chief argument has been “No AI will ever out-human a human.” Meaning, no machine taught entity, even with a literal global library at its disposal, will replace the random thought, sudden insight or wild hair that comes to we mortals, often in the shower.
Furthermore, ChatGPT and its ilk is simply spellcheck and grammar check that went to grad school. It scans billions of inputs to create acceptable responses. As a writer, this raises my hackles. We intentionally break rules to express our unique voices. Key word “unique.”
I have been alternatively mocked and indulged in these arguments.
As I was pondering this in my own recent shower moment, I had an inspiration that brought me around to being an AI enthusiast. What a fantastic tool, I mused, to teach contrarian thought! Critical thinking if you prefer.
The technique would be simple. Ask ChatGPT or other preferred predictive AI tool to provide an answer, write an opinion, or deliver data on a specific question. “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” for example.
ChatGPT game me this answer: “The classic question! From a scientific standpoint, the egg came first. The reasoning is that birds evolved from reptiles, and reptiles were laying eggs long before chickens existed. So, the first “chicken egg” would have been laid by a bird that was very close to being a chicken but not quite one. This means that the egg, in a general sense, predates the chicken.”
My first reaction was to wonder what or whose “reasoning” led to this conclusion? I laughed out loud. But setting my reaction aside and accepting the response, I must conclude that a chicken was first a reptile? Huh. This was new information to me. It led me to wonder where reptiles came from? Were reptile eggs laid by some other form of life? If so, what was it? Where would we find genealogies of such species?
A science project, cool!
Then I thought this answer could be spun into a charming children’s book about reptiles and chickens and all sorts of other creatures to encourage imagination. Dr. Seuss, my childhood hero, came fondly to mind. Also cool!
More controversially, a theological challenge of where any life form came from could emerge. Oh, no. We don’t want controversy. That would create tension and conflict, and we know from many sources that tension and conflict lead to bad physical and mental outcomes. Can’t have that.
My point here is that what I once considered a short path to a new and improved hive mind could actually spur a renaissance in imagination, innovation, and intellectual energy! Now instead of saying, “Keep it away from me,” I enthusiastically say, “Bring it on!”
