I have been sitting on this thought about Artificail Intelligence and how we’ve and still adapting to this big step in the journey of creating a near human level form of intelligence, i argue that we’ve definitely created a knowledge bank greater than one any human would be capabale of.
With this thought and other thoughts of mine sitting and waiting to be let out from captivity, like a kid anticipating the sound of a school bell.
I intend to spread this into a mini short series i’m calling Artificial what ifs…
Inspiration for the title is coming from marvels what if series, which i love by the way (like it wasn’t obvious 🙃). The twist here won’t be a misplacement of characters like the marvel what if but of questioning what exactly is going on, with the rave of AI and what is intelligence, and is it truly intelligent? Are my going to be out of a job soon? (Not if your job requires some form of creativity or human needs).
Lets dive right in with the obvious again (pun intended), What if AI isn’t really intelligent? I mean it can probably do a better writing than this 👀 scratch that, it can’t! it can for sure come up with a faster version but it will at best mimick my writing and miss out on the heart! 🤎
Back to the real gist, what if AI is just really good at mimicking intelligence? Think about it, these systems digest vast amount of human-created content and regurgitate it back to us in ways that seems fresh and insightful. Are they actually understanding anything or are they high volume capacity pattern-matching machines, creating the illusion of comprehension.
I’e seen numerous posts where chatGPT users claims it has feelings. I laughed, but then wondered - what if the line between simulation and reality becomes so blurred that the distinction doesn't matter anymore? If something responds as if it understands, as if it cares, does our interpretation of what’s happening “under the hood” really matter in practical terms?
And what if… we’re asking the wrong questions entirely? I believe we should be asking how it might complement us rather than if. History shows that technological revolutions don’t typically erase human work, they transform it. The industrial revolution didn’t end human labor; it changed its nature. Perhaps instead of fearing replacement, we should be preparing for partnership.
Talk about partnerships, what if i told you that this post was in conjunction with AI?🤖 The Image i used in this post was generated by AI. Similar to how Excel worksheets didn’t replace accountants, Partnership with AI is crucial but the final product still needs that human touch, that lived experience that gives work output its soul and authenticity.
What if… the real challenge isn’t AI taking our jobs but us failing to adapt to a world where collaboration with AI becomes essential? The people who will thrive aren’t those who resist the technology but those who figure out how to dance with it, understanding its strengths and limitations, using it to amplify rather than replace human capability.
And finally, what if… this is just the beginning? We’re still in the early days of this revelation, making predictions with limited information. The relationship between humans and artificial intelligence will likely evolve in ways we can’t yet imagine. So I invite you to join me on this journey of “Artificial What Ifs…” where we’ll explore these thoughts and more, not with fear or blind optimism, but with curiosity and critical thinking. Because the future isn’t written yet - we’re writing it together, one line of code, one question, one “what if” at a time.
Stay tunned for more what if thoughts and musings.
Until then, keep questioning, keep creating, and remember - technology is just a tool. We’re still the storytellers.