Photo by Dollar Gill on Unsplash

There has always been a tension between the strengths of the machine and the strengths of the human. But our mistake is that they are not at odds with each other; rather, we are at odds with ourselves.

AI as a tool

AI is advancing rapidly. It’s outpacing governmental regulation and our human ability to consider its wide-reaching ethical implications.

Right now, we’re seeing AI in its infancy stage, and it’s already pretty damn impressive. It’s so good that we already feel threatened by it. Whether those are valid fears or not is TBD. But if this is AI as a baby, imagine its capabilities as an adult.

Will AI take over the world? — Likely not with robots fighting humans to our death.

Will AI take my job? — Definitely a possibility, depending on your job.

AI, like other new technology we’ve created, will change the landscape of how we live, work, and think. While it’s a new tool with new capabilities, its disruption isn’t dissimilar to advancements we’ve had in the past. It will improve some things, worsen others, and drastically change what we know to be possible.

Ultimately, AI is a tool, which means its fate is determined, in part, by how humans choose to use it.

History as a lesson

The Industrial Revolution and the Internet boom hold lessons for us. They can help us better understand the future with AI.

The Industrial Revolution brought massive upheaval due to automation and mechanization. It coincided with the rise in democracy. It greatly influenced society, art, creativity, and machines.

Society:

• People flocked to cities for factory jobs, leading to overcrowding and other issues.
• Factory owners grew rich. Their workers endured bad conditions and low wages. This created a large wealth gap and social divide.
• The working class and social movements rose, pressuring governments to expand voting rights. This influenced the…