Article:Civilization Frontiers
Category: The problems I would like to solve as an engineer
In this article I would try to shed light on use Computers and AI and where they can be, where they have not now, used to solve our biggest problems.
We live in computer age. We rely on computers. They make our job easier in many areas of life. It is a well accepted fact. It is a wonderful invention. We all believe that .Those who do not, do not understand how they can help, what role they can play and what actually they can do. The next age would be that of AI.
We use computers in many areas. We use them in teaching & learning, entertainment, industries and automation, many research disciplines. But do we like the idea of a country’s government run by intelligent systems or the decision whether or not there should be war left to be made by intelligent systems? Do we accept them to decide? I think if we or our future generations decides them be the deciders we will solve many of the serious problems. For a small instance we don’t quarrel over the result on an online test for selection of candidates for a course in a college! Presently we use them to help us make decisions but not let make decisions themselves which are big decisions like the ones above. With further evolution in AI systems that will be possible. I think we all engineers can help in establishing gradual shift in perception of our society that these intelligent systems should not aid us only, in decision making, but make decisions themselves for our benefit.
I don’t believe in the idea that if we let them be the decision makers, they will take us over.
But they will only help us ever.The idea here is not to become slaves of our own creation.Because in reality, basically computers are not of that kind, not even future AI systems will be. Some may argue this. But this idea is basically incorrect. We control them now and will even in future. But if let them be decision makers, they will do decision for the benefit of us only. Why? Because decisions made by computers cannot be questioned. Can we imagine someday someone wakes up in the morning and blames a computer for what decision it made. That would be insanity. But we do it today for many decisions made by humans in almost every serious area of our society.Intelligent systems can be helpfull in this way.Why? Because computers and AI systems can take discrimination away, bias away, they help us in maintaining transparency and accountability, which are the two factors of responsibility. We should start realizing a fact that they can be used wherever potential decisions need to be made, like War. We can and we should think of a country’s government run by computers and intelligent systems or in any such area of our society. We should eliminate human intervention in areas wherever the future of a civilization relied on a decision. I believe that would be the peak of our civilization. Those who do not realize this fact have a very narrow view and their arguments can be debated out. AI systems will evolve and they will be intelligent enough to make decisions, even some of the serious decisions. There is no stopping them, because presently we are not.I believe as engineers we should contribute ever in to move in this direction.It can be achieved as a collective goal.We should be ready debeting out the differences among us in society in this direction in the same way as we have achieved this much advancement already in our society with the help of computers and other intelligent systems. I believe otherwise we will not grove much.I am hopeful in this direction.