More AI, equals less HI?

[HertsBiker]

Am beginning to wonder if more AI means people becoming more stupid, or just less intelligent.
With all the search facilities,.are we going to stop working stuff out for ourselves?
So all the ML stuff is based on previous people's exploits, and nothing new will happen once the majority rely on AI...

Thoughts anyone?

HI = human intelligence.

[pits]

I hate the stuff, I would quite happily turn it off.

[grumbledoak]

There isn't really any artificial intelligence going on. It's more like an improved search tool really. It cannot reason or make logical leaps, though it can hallucinate. I don't think humans actually using their intelligence are at risk of being replaced, but doctors and lawyers...

It would be fascinating to see the results from Galactica, which was trained on scientific articles but quickly switched off
https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/11/18/106348...

[Scarfie]

There is no intelligence, it’s just the release of data gathering of the last 20 years of people willingly submitting it via social media platforms. So all that happens is it’s telling you something that you’ve already said, so you’re going to agree with it.

But you’re absolutely right, it is making us stupid as all you get is regurgitation. No free and unique thought.

[bloomen]

grumbledoak said:

It cannot reason or make logical leaps

It can make links that otherwise wouldn't have been found by humans, or would've taken a long old time.

Not sure which chatbot it was, but scientists set it to work on nerve agents and it gaily spewed out thousands of stunningly deadly strains that had never been conceived before in no time at all.

Am sure it'll come up with a mountain of risible drivel, but also some earth-shaking stuff too.

No idea how it's going to impact human behaviour in general though.

[BoRED S2upid]

No. I see this as a massive flop. Like Elons robo taxis. A few crashes and people will be thinking actually humans make better taxis. Likewise AI it’s just not human. You know it’s AI read anything that’s AI generated and you know it’s not human therefore you prefer the human version.

[essayer]

Your question really touches on an important debate about how technology, especially AI, affects our cognitive abilities and the ways we engage with the world.

While there is certainly a risk of over-reliance on AI making us less adept at certain mental tasks, there’s also an opportunity to redefine intelligence for the modern world. The key is in how we balance AI’s assistance with our own active engagement and lifelong learning.

[S100HP]

You raise some important points. The reliance on AI and search facilities can lead to a decrease in critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as people may become more dependent on technology for answers. However, it's also possible that AI can enhance our capabilities by providing new tools for exploration and creativity.

While much of AI is built on existing knowledge, it can also facilitate new discoveries by allowing us to analyze vast amounts of data and identify patterns we might not notice on our own. The key is finding a balance—using AI to augment our intelligence rather than replace it. Ultimately, how we engage with these tools will shape our intellectual landscape.

CHATGPT

Edited by S100HP on Sunday 6th October 22:42

[essayer]

S100HP said:

You raise some important points. The reliance on AI and search facilities can lead to a decrease in critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as people may become more dependent on technology for answers. However, it's also possible that AI can enhance our capabilities by providing new tools for exploration and creativity.

While much of AI is built on existing knowledge, it can also facilitate new discoveries by allowing us to analyze vast amounts of data and identify patterns we might not notice on our own. The key is finding a balance—using AI to augment our intelligence rather than replace it. Ultimately, how we engage with these tools will shape our intellectual landscape.

CHATGPT

Edited by S100HP on Sunday 6th October 22:42

While the argument highlights some theoretical benefits of AI, it largely overlooks the tangible downsides of increased AI dependence. The notion that AI can “enhance our capabilities” is optimistic but potentially misleading, as it assumes people will engage with AI tools critically and thoughtfully. In reality, as AI systems become more prevalent, there’s a strong likelihood that people will lean more on these tools for convenience, at the expense of developing and maintaining their own cognitive skills.

[Terminator X]

HertsBiker said:

Am beginning to wonder if more AI means people becoming more stupid, or just less intelligent.
With all the search facilities,.are we going to stop working stuff out for ourselves?
So all the ML stuff is based on previous people's exploits, and nothing new will happen once the majority rely on AI...

Thoughts anyone?

HI = human intelligence.

It has started ...



I just find it really fking annoying like the "press a button" options before you spend 10 mins trying to reach a human.

TX.

[jdw100]

BoRED S2upid said:

No. I see this as a massive flop. Like Elons robo taxis. A few crashes and people will be thinking actually humans make better taxis. Likewise AI it’s just not human. You know it’s AI read anything that’s AI generated and you know it’s not human therefore you prefer the human version.

That’s an interesting and it touches on a common sentiment about AI-generated content. There's often a easily detectable difference between human-created work and AI-generated work—particularly in nuances, emotional depth, and creativity.

While AI can replicate patterns, it doesn’t possess real experience, emotions, or personal insights in the same way humans do, which can lead to a preference for human-generated content. People often connect more deeply with content that has a personal touch, understanding, or the emotional resonance that comes from a real experience.

[Lo-Fi]

"it can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with, and it absolutely will not stop..."

[Hoofy]

This is an interesting and important question, especially as AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday life. There’s concern that the widespread use of AI, especially in decision-making, creativity, and problem-solving, might result in a kind of cognitive outsourcing where people rely on machines to do the heavy lifting. Here are a few perspectives to consider:

1. **Risk of Cognitive Decline**: With tools like AI providing quick answers, there’s the potential for people to rely less on deep thinking and problem-solving. In the same way that calculators reduced mental arithmetic, AI could diminish critical thinking if people don't challenge themselves or are content with surface-level information.

2. **The Convenience Trap**: When convenience takes over, the instinct to question, analyze, and explore may be weakened. This could reduce our ability to innovate or think creatively, particularly if AI starts dictating most aspects of life, from our daily choices to our larger decisions. Over-reliance on pre-digested information or analysis could hinder personal growth.

3. **AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement**: It’s essential to frame AI as a tool to enhance human capabilities, not replace them. If people use AI to assist their thinking rather than to do the thinking for them, it could lead to new breakthroughs. For instance, AI can help synthesize large amounts of data, but humans are still needed to interpret and push the boundaries of what that data means.

4. **Creativity and Intuition**: AI's "learning" is rooted in data and patterns, which means it lacks true creativity and intuition. Human insight, emotional intelligence, and the ability to think "outside the box" remain irreplaceable. If people lean too heavily on AI, the fear is that those softer, creative skills might wither.

5. **New Opportunities for Intelligence**: On the other hand, by automating routine tasks, AI can free up mental bandwidth for more advanced thinking, problem-solving, and creative exploration. If used responsibly, AI might allow humans to explore more complex, abstract concepts, much like how earlier technological advances (e.g., the internet) created new intellectual and creative fields.

It’s likely a balance will need to be struck. Just like the invention of the internet and calculators changed how we learn and think, AI could reshape the intellectual landscape. It all depends on how we choose to use it—whether as a tool for exploration or as a crutch that limits our thinking. What do you think the right balance is?

[StevieBee]

Hoofy said:

Here are a few perspectives to consider

Was about to post pretty much the same as you.

Hoofy said:

1. **Risk of Cognitive Decline**: With tools like AI providing quick answers, there’s the potential for people to rely less on deep thinking and problem-solving. In the same way that calculators reduced mental arithmetic, AI could diminish critical thinking if people don't challenge themselves or are content with surface-level information.

I'd say this is the biggest threat. This decline started to happen way back as the internet began to transition into the mainstream. We have today many what I call faux-intelligents; people who amass a great deal of information about many things and who'd be very useful on your pub quiz team but lack the ability to think beyond the immediate facts - people who, for example, can tell you all the facts and figures about the First World War but offer no observations or thoughts on the backstory, the politics and the consequences. This is why - IMO - we are seeing a rise of the far right. People see headline facts and assume a position on these alone.

Ai works out what we like to see and read so the system is a self-fulfilling prophecy in this regard.

Hoofy said:

4. **Creativity and Intuition**: AI's "learning" is rooted in data and patterns, which means it lacks true creativity and intuition. Human insight, emotional intelligence, and the ability to think "outside the box" remain irreplaceable. If people lean too heavily on AI, the fear is that those softer, creative skills might wither.

For the time being, Ai is proving a highly useful asset in the creative process. I make films as part of my professional repertoire and some of the Ai tools have made my life a lot easier, more commercially advantageous and has allowed me to better expand my creativity.

I've also had cause to use it recently in photography. Working on a campaign to raise awareness around a very difficult subject (child abuse). Parents of child models and indeed adult models and actors, tend not to like appearing in these types of campaigns for obvious reasons. There are lengthy photo composition techniques you can use but rarely do clients have the budget for this. Ai allows us to create something that wouldn't have been possible otherwise. It still requires a human creative eye to determine light, composition and colour and you still need original images for it to look convincing. The only difference is that instead of clicking the shutter, I click 'apply'.

Hoofy said:

5. **New Opportunities for Intelligence**: On the other hand, by automating routine tasks, AI can free up mental bandwidth for more advanced thinking, problem-solving, and creative exploration. If used responsibly, AI might allow humans to explore more complex, abstract concepts, much like how earlier technological advances (e.g., the internet) created new intellectual and creative fields.

This is where I think Ai has the potential to be a positive change for good. It's what it's intended for.

The problem is us. (Refer to my reply to Point 1).

[Getragdogleg]

Just bear in mind that the Internet is pretty much a repository of all human knowledge yet the majority use it for arguing, porn and non productive short video scrolling I'm not holding up much hope for AI enhancement of the Web for anything other than more of the same but fake.

[vikingaero]

I posted in the Tech thread: "Is AI really AI?"

Example: Around the Google Pixel 4 you had software that could remove someone/something you didn't like from a photo, such as a tree sprouting from your head. Now on the latest Pixels it's magically changed to AI.

Everyone is on the AI bandwagon when it's just SOFTWARE!

AI - The New Bull.

[Spare tyre]

My kid had just started writing basic words

She gets some basic homework, dog cat bus etc

She gets the grumps if you push it too much, so we decided to make it fun

Writing in wet mud/ slides/ bus stops/ with sticks

When sat on a park bench I whipped notes out on my phone

Asked her to do some spellings, little bugger spotted the auto complete and got full marks!

[PlywoodPascal]

bloomen said:

It can make links that otherwise wouldn't have been found by humans, or would've taken a long old time.

Not sure which chatbot it was, but scientists set it to work on nerve agents and it gaily spewed out thousands of stunningly deadly strains that had never been conceived before in no time at all.

Speaking as a chemist, this is trivial and it would not need ai to do it.

It also doesn’t answer several questions:
Are they actually active
Can you actually make them?
They even stable molecules/compounds?

[Slow.Patrol]

Having previously fractured my ankle and it not "showing" on an x-ray, I think I would trust AI to find a fracture rather than a human.

After waiting six weeks for a scan, which showed the fracture, the consultant then found the fracture on the original x-ray.

[Sporky]

The pattern I've spotted is that with every new technology people think it'll make people stupider. I'm not convinced. Society changes through technology, but it seems a very negative view to see only downsides (which do of course exist).