Member • Sep 13, 2010
Are Machines Gaining Control Over Mankind? - AI Answers
Well, it could be a sci-fi flick; but I have began believing that machines around us are smart and intelligent enough to act dumb and slowly gain control of human race.
Last month; while driving at night, we lost our road and drove about 50 km before we realized we were on the wrong track. Instead of using our brains to figure out where we are, we simply turned on GPS and reached our destination.
We use Google and Wikipedia to get instant information about anything we want. We don't remember anyone's birthday's anymore - because the cell phone remembers it for us.
Don't you think machines are making us their slaves?
Update: June, 2023
This discussion is almost a decade old. We had no idea back then about the advancements in Artificial Intelligence. However, we are in 2023 now and technologies like ChatGPT have taken over.
Instead of asking humans if they think machines are gaining control over them, I thought of asking the question to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Here’s my prompt to ChatGPT-4 model and following is the response I received-
Response By AI-
As an AI, I don't have personal beliefs or feelings, but I can provide an analysis based on available data.
As of my last training data in September 2021, it's accurate to say that machines are becoming increasingly integrated into human societies, and their roles are growing.
This includes everything from smart home devices to automated manufacturing systems to AI like me.
These advancements have led to improved efficiency, convenience, and capabilities in many areas.
That being said, the concept of machines "taking over" mankind can be interpreted in a couple of different ways. If you're asking whether machines are becoming self-aware and seizing control, the answer is no. All machines and AI systems still operate based on human-created rules and programming. They can't develop ambitions or desires outside of their programming.
If you're asking whether humans are becoming overly dependent on machines and technology, that's a more complex question. Technology has indeed become deeply ingrained in our daily lives and many societal functions. It has altered the way we communicate, work, play, and even think. This heavy reliance on technology could have potential negative consequences, like a loss of certain skills, decreased privacy, and increased vulnerability to cyber attacks.
Yet, on the flip side, technology has also brought numerous benefits, such as improved healthcare, greater access to information, increased connectivity, and more efficient use of resources. It's also worth noting that as societies, we've gone through similar transitions before, with the advent of writing, the printing press, the industrial revolution, and so on.
So, is technology "taking over"? It's not in the sense of autonomous machines controlling humanity, but it's true that we're becoming more dependent on it. How beneficial or detrimental this is depends largely on how we manage and regulate the use of technology.
As of my knowledge cutoff in 2021, no machine has attained self-awareness or anything close to human consciousness. All AI are tools created and controlled by humans. However, it's a rapidly evolving field and opinions differ on what might be possible in the future. Thus, it is necessary for ongoing discussions and regulations around the ethical use of AI and technology.
Ok, that’s what the AI said. Do let me know your thoughts below. Let’s see where are we going with this.