better being?

My reflection today touches on one of the most popular topics of recent months.

Yes, it will be about artificial intelligence, but it will approach the topic in a way that I believe is something everyone should think about. In my view, it’s not limited just to this type of technology.

What more is there to say about AI?

We cannot prevent it from becoming virtually ubiquitous in both developed and developing societies. The same thing happened with the other technologies that preceded it, such as typewriters, computers, the internet, and now artificial intelligence.

It’s here to stay and will certainly change humanity’s paradigm.

Our task, in my view, should not be limited to this simple dichotomy, for there is no way to deny something that is already here.

The questions we should ask about these new technologies are: as they develop, will they make us more human and more open to others?

Will this new technology strengthen social and family ties and encourage the formation of more relationships, or enhance them in some way?

Will local, regional, and national communities emerge with their values, concepts, and social norms strengthened?

And what about culture—its production, promotion, and development, as well as its consumption and support? Will culture emerge strengthened, with greater penetration and increased accessibility for those who previously lacked access due to other constraints that have been mitigated by technology?

Or, on the other hand, will this technology simply lead us to a point where we are alone, absorbed not in ourselves but merely staring at a screen, or another display, or another medium through which information is conveyed to us?

Will we be manipulated even more than we already are today? How will we be able to distinguish reality from a creation that was not directly shaped by “human” hands?

Will this new technology—which many, such as Elon Musk, view as a means of reducing inequalities among peoples—actually lead to those inequalities fading away, or, on the contrary, will they grow until they become an insurmountable chasm?

Will our dependence on external sources that provide us with the means to interact, think, or create increase?

Or will it, on the other hand, free people from more routine tasks, leaving them freer to interact with others and with their surroundings?

All these questions must be addressed by society in a serious and calm manner. We cannot go about our daily lives without taking action or making decisions. Not in terms of legislation, but in terms of defining what may not be acceptable, so that this technology does not disrupt society as a whole and create even more inequality, isolation, and personal dehumanization.

I think this technology could steer humanity in the right direction.

Problems that until now seemed difficult to solve can be more easily addressed and understood.

There may even be major advances in healthcare and pharmaceutical development through the redesign of molecules or the identification of connections between factors that had not previously been correlated, which could lead to groundbreaking discoveries, such as in the field of oncology.

In terms of energy, a new level could be reached with the creation of both more energy-efficient vehicles and buildings. Energy generation from renewable sources could also expand infinitely with the development of new energy storage models, reducing dependence on batteries—which have so far been one of the limitations in many sectors of development.

Pollution of the oceans, land, and even the air can be mitigated through new approaches and technologies that will contribute to better management of energy consumption, as well as the very design and architecture of cities.

Imagine an integrated public transportation system that would be activated according to real-time needs. It would save immense resources, especially considering that driverless vehicles will become a reality in the near future.

The entire paradigm of society will change.

But the ultimate question, in my view, is and always will be for me:

“Will mankind be capable of becoming a better creature?"

^{Image by ZILLUR RAHMAN RAJU from Pixabay
Original text written by @xrayman in Portuguese and translated with DeepL.com (free version)}