SOME scientists are predicting a future in which humans and machines become one and people are merely cogs.
Futurists are predicting that artificial intelligence and brain chips will irreversibly change our lives as we know them, according to a recent report in The Conversation.
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There are experts who argue an AI with human-level abilities will change everything.
We already have bots like ChatGPT leaving humans in certain sectors fearing for their jobs.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk is currently seeking approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to start human trials for his Neuralink brain chips.
Rather than competing, some scientists believe humans and AI will become one.
The Conversation report refers to a theory by futurist and former Google engineer Ray Kurzweil.
He predicts that humans will be unable to live without AI by 2045 in his book How to Create a Mind.
The futurist thinks we’ll reach a point of “singularity” with machines in which we are part human and part artificial intelligence.
The report also suggests that this “singularity” could leave us living a “hive-mind” existence.
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Neuroscientist Giulio Tononi has previously suggested that we’re heading towards a merger of minds and all data.
This thought is said to be shared by philosopher Philip Goff who explained in his book Galileo’s Error: “Brains would cease to be conscious in their own right and would instead become mere cogs in the mega-conscious entity that is the society including its internet-based connectivity.”
An event like this would have huge implications for human individuality.
However, not all experts are worried about AI and think it will aid humans, not hinder us.
AI expert and senior research analyst at IDC, Jack Vernon, previously discussed the topic with The U.S. Sun.
He was against theories that AI is here to replace humans or take over, especially when it comes to jobs.
Vernon compared the AI takeover to when cars replaced horses.
He explained: “We’ve gone through big transitions in the labor market before.
“Like with the move from horses to cars. If you look at it now, the automotive industry has ended up employing millions more people than horses ever did.
“It might be easy to think now that ChatGPT is taking away some jobs but potentially it will lead to a lot more employment. That kind of thing is difficult to see.
“Jobs might be taken away in the short term. It might make things a lot easier for a lot of people.”
