Skip to main content

Artificial intelligence could be catastrophic for society, might replace humans altogether

By YS Gill 
Unlike the industrial revolution or the scientific & technological revolution, it is for the first time in human history that technology is not only taking over the production process but would also be usurping the decision-making process. It will completely replaces human control at all stages of production. 
Let me cite a crude example. Since Guttenberg invented printing, we have had compositors compiling the letters, block makers and printing machines operated by man. Then computers automated the letter compiling and designing process. The computer has eliminated several stages of the legacy printing process. But computers are operated by people. Similarly, modern printing machines are highly automated. Yet they require human intervention. But above all you need a writer to write the book or article which would be printed and an editor, graphic designer and so on. At every stage you need a human being. 
But AI will replace humans altogether. It will write the book, make the graphics, design pages and print it - all at one command from the owner of all those machines. While the owner of the machines will gleefully produce books of all genres without employing almost no staff, a whole chain of people working in the publishing industry would be eliminated. 
Never in the history of humankind have machines completely replaced humans from the production process. At each stage there has been a human taking decisions, whether at the manual or intellectual level. 
Such massively wholesale elimination of humans from production of goods and services would be catastrophic for the society. And all this is likely to happen in a short period of time. It would be particularly disastrous for countries like india, the so-called global South where we have millions and millions with low levels of educational skills or simply uneducated and even illiterate. Therefore we should start talking about the impact of AI on societies like ours in the right earnestness and prepare for this onslaught of 'intelligent' machines.

Comments

Neeraj Nanda said…
100% human control cannot be replaced by AI. Yes, it will replace some human production, in the same way computers replaced some parts of human production (employment). Computers also created so much employment, in fact, lot's of human control took a different form. I mean, IT employment.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the ability of a computer or a robot controlled by a computer to do tasks that are usually done by humans because they require human intelligence and discernment.

For example, Siri (in iphones) works on AI principles. It is helpful to many disadvantaged people (could be a handicapped person) and so on. It is a vast subject and hasty conclusions need to be avoided. Intelligent machines intelligence is not like human intelligence. No AI is superior to human intelligence.
If two men fall in love with one woman, AI cannot solve. It can be solved by human intelligence.

TRENDING

Will official Modi invitation to Pope include itinerary of meeting Manipur Christians, too?

  By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  Few will not remember Judas Iscariot and the role he played in the betrayal of Jesus! For those who don’t know or don’t remember, these passages from Sacred Scripture will help put things in perspective: "And while they were eating, he said, 'Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.' They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, 'Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?' Jesus replied, 'The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray from Sacred Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.' Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, 'Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?' Jesus answered, 'You have said so.'  (Mt. 26: 21-25)

RSS supremo Deoras 'supported' Emergency, but Indira, Sanjay Gandhi 'didn't respond'

Indira Gandhi, Balasaheb Deoras By Shamsul Islam* National Emergency was imposed on the country by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25-26, 1975, and it lasted for 19 months. This period is considered as ''dark times' for Indian democratic polity. Indira Gandhi claimed that due to Jaiprakash Narayan's call to the armed forces to disobey the 'illegal' orders of Congress rulers had created a situation of anarchy and there was danger to the existence of Indian Republic so there was no alternative but to impose Emergency under article 352 of the Constitution.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Amidst climate of hate, none cares to remember VP Singh, not even his family

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*   It was former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh's birthday on June 25. He would have turned 93 on this day. A man of great idealism and conviction, VP changed the politics of power in India that became more inclusive in terms of participation and representation of the marginalised in our highest decision making bodies. 

Manipur's Meira Paibis: Inter-sectional activism, regional bias, media misconstruction

By Biswanath Sinha*  The women led movement in India is a diverse and multifaceted phenomenon that reflects the country's vast cultural, social, and political landscape. One of the most distinctive and influential women's organizations in this tapestry is the Meira Paibi of Manipur. Known as the "torchbearers," Meira (lights/torch) Paibi (holder/bearer) carved out a unique space in the annals of women's activism in India.

Architects, planners, designers discuss impact of climate change on infrastructure

By Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava*  The School of Architecture and Planning at the Woxsen University, Telengana, organized a conference on Architecture & Design of Built Environment (ADoBE) on 6-7th June 2024 at the Indian Institute of Technology, IIT-Hyderabad. The larger theme of the ADoBE’24 pivoted on ‘Cities Embracing Inclusivity’. 

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.