Humans and machines: challenges of treating a person like a machine

Abstract

This article seeks to reflect on the difference between humans and smart machines. Humans have long fantasized of creating intelligent machines. Intelligent machines are fed on personal data from individuals, which entails the lack of privacy of these individuals. Machines will become more “intelligent” with time as they will have more data to analyze, potentially helping humans to make better decisions.

However, human interactions with an intelligent machine in private spheres, such as at home or at the doctor’s office, may affect how humans relate among themselves. A risk is that humans will tend to dehumanize themselves as interactions with smart machines are more prevalent. Not only will humans be watched in traditional public spaces, such as on the streets, but also in more intimate contexts by companionship of robots that capture, through multiple sensors and cameras, every detail of a human life.

Section II offers a perspective on the characteristics that make humans different from intelligent machines and questions if society needs a sentient robot. Section III examines the education of programmers and developers of artificial intelligence (AI), as a minority is building the future of most of the world’s population. Section IV discusses the possible consequences of the addiction by design of social networks and many applications whose use by humans is increasing. These consequences tend to disconnect humans as they replace human interactions in the real world with online interactions. The traceability of personal information would give power to the corporations and governments that have access to it. The challenge of the surveillance society would be to rationalize the absolute power of these entities, otherwise, a social credit score would determine not only individuals’ present but the future of their offspring. Finally, Section V expresses the compelling need for awareness of the transformative changes that AI may bring, which should be the final goal of AI.