One of the most talked about and published topics today is Artificial Intelligence and its impact on our lives. Topics that generate a lot of fear are discussed because of the apocalyptic and Hollywood-esque tone with which they are painted. The most repeated topic is that AI will replace humans in work activities.
Reading Pascal Bornet's book Irreplaceable, I found an excellent way to explain why it may not be like this and how to really use AI as a tool for human resilience and see it as an opportunity to be more “human beings.”
Below, I share a summary of an excerpt from the book to expand on my argument:
If you will pardon the redundancy, there are three uniquely “human” skills that represent our humanity: genuine creativity, critical thinking, and social authenticity. We can observe these skills in their purest form in children. Aristotle already highlighted uniquely human skills as the key to a flourishing life.
As we have shown, AI cannot authentically replicate these human skills. AI lacks several intrinsic aspects of these skills: human experiences, life stories, personality traits, and emotions, including love.
Therefore, embracing and developing our human skills enriches our collaboration with AI by complementing it. This fosters innovation, strengthens relationships, and allows us to solve more complex problems.
These human skills, not technical skills, are future skills.
This matrix summarizes human skills and how they differ from AI capabilities.
As AI and automation take over mundane and repetitive tasks such as manual calculations, basic writing, image creation, and data entry, they free us from these tedious tasks. This shift away from these tasks gives us time to invest in developing our human skills.
The more we excel in human skills, the more value we create in synergy with AI
By leveraging our human skills, we avoid being redundant with AI and can truly harness the potential of this technology. For example, in healthcare, combining the empathetic understanding of a human with AI data analysis does more than add value; it multiplies it, effectively making 1+1=3.
This synergy between human knowledge and AI precision improves patient care and drives innovation in treatments. By elevating our human skills, we maximize our synergistic potential with AI, pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve together.
Because of the above points, AI pushes us to further develop our human abilities and become deeper beings.
AI guides us toward enhancing our humanity by unwittingly encouraging us to cultivate our most human qualities. This profound insight suggests that AI is not simply a tool for economic productivity but also a means to amplify our most human traits, imagining a world where, thanks to AI, we prioritize the growth of the soul and the self as much as the economy's growth. In a way, AI allows us to rediscover our humanity.
Why is it important to be more human?
We can lead fuller lives, lives rich in creativity, meaning, and connection. We can find greater joy in our work, our hobbies, and our relationships. We can contribute more positively to the world around us, using our unique human qualities to make a difference in the lives of others. We develop a greater sense of purpose, aligning our actions with what matters. We also become more resilient and better equipped to meet challenges and adapt to constant change.
How can we develop our human skills?
Developing our humanity further is crucial because it allows us to increase the value we generate with AI. To do this, spend 15 to 30 minutes daily on exercises that strengthen your human skills. Here are some examples that you can practice daily:
Encourage creativity: Engage in activities that spark creativity, such as the arts, writing, or innovative problem-solving. Embrace boredom by unplugging, allowing your mind to wander, and stimulating natural creativity.
Engage in critical thinking – Challenge your mind by learning new things, participating in debates, solving ethical dilemmas, or questioning the status quo. Argue against your own beliefs to broaden your perspective and enhance open-mindedness.
Cultivate authentic relationships: Prioritize face-to-face interactions and build relationships based on empathy and genuine connection. Greet people on the street, dig into their interests, and anticipate the needs of others through acts of kindness.
Practice self-reflection: Spend time introspecting to understand your emotions, motivations, and the impact of your actions on others. Change up your daily routines by reading different genres than you usually read or taking new routes to better confront and understand yourself.
Conclusion
As we have seen, the danger AI poses to our well-being and stability depends much more on our approach to using it. By intentionally adopting the practices described above, you can improve your human skills and increase your performance using AI.
Given this, we can feel more at ease that, to get ahead in this world and become increasingly involved in AI, I have the key within me to the uniqueness that my experiences, knowledge, character, and criteria generate. It is not about whether AI will control me; it is about how I will evolve to be a better human being who, as part of the tools that it uses to serve and put its talents at the service of others, has Artificial Intelligence.
Comments