Discussion of Artificial Intelligence is everywhere I turn these days. Breathless accounts of what it can do, delight over its ability to learn and adapt, dreams of how great life can be with these magical tools. But when things seem too good to be true, we should be paying closer attention. Are we really ready to give up so much?
I’m all for labor saving devices – a washing machine, an ice maker, a dishwasher – but when someone touts that Chat GPT can relieve me of all the tedious tasks in my work life, I am skeptical. Sure, key-entry can be dull, but taking the time to study patterns and trends in numbers often leads me to insights I wouldn’t have come to otherwise. Speed is not always enlightening as repetition and time help ideas form.
Do I want a chirpy computer voice to tell me what should be on my grocery list? I do not. There’s value in forcing me to remember what I’ve used up over the last week and what ingredients I will need for upcoming meals. Plus, I might find something at the farmers’ market or a sale item in the freezer aisle that causes me to change course.
Professional writers appear to be shaken by the notion that a bot could replace them by producing wonderful prose, snappy tag lines, and intelligent analysis – “AI will take our jobs!” Well, maybe bots are already writing spam emails and social media posts (and it shows!) but I find that writing requires contemplation; removing that step won’t make it better.
I’m happy to use Google to plot out directions to far-flung places, but I remember the value of studying a paper map to get the big picture, seeing how various roads cross and connect. Some trips are improved by taking the scenic route where you get an unanticipated view, find an alley short cut, or even have to execute a U turn to correct a mistake. For me, this has always been when I learn something.
AI claims to free us from the mundane tasks of our day so we’ll have more time for creative activities. But what if the mundane is when the thinking happens? The unhurried, mental meandering that you can do while sweeping a floor, or taking a walk. If we cede all the supposedly mundane tasks, the ability to do them will atrophy until we are unable to do them at all. Think about the last time you left your phone at home and had to figure out directions for yourself.