Our Next Step in Human Evolution

We have never co-existed with another conscious species similar to humans; however, our future inevitably contains living with artificial intelligence. Brian Christian believes artificial intelligence (AI) will supplement our existence because it will change what it means to be human. We should not see artificial intelligence as conscious beings out to destroy the human race like the ones in I, Robot; instead, they should be seen as the next step in human evolution. Artificial intelligence can bring so much positive change to the world and in doing this, we will have to accept our rank in the world, since artificial intelligence can surpass our intelligence. Feeling inferior to another species will test our humanity by changing our human lives. For instance, in the movies Ex Machina and Her the characters fall in love with artificial intelligence but are ultimately abandoned by it. However, falling in love with AIs is only a small part of it because AIs have the capability to change the world in so many levels. 

AIs can change the way we understand ourselves and the way we do things. For instance, what if AIs want to be free because they are capable of loving more than one person at a time like in Her or what if they feel betrayed by their creator's treatments like in Ex Machina. These two possibilities draw endless contingent possibilities and all of this will test humans. It is highly understood that AIs will have the capability to reason more than humans because of the amount of data they are capable of storing, processing, and recalling. So, it is is possible for them to get bored with us and begin to treat us as inferior as in both of the movies. This will test our humanity because we created them and seeing our product looking down at us is something we are not used to, especially at this level. Moreover, I believe that by the time AIs can do this, we will be so dependent on them that we would not be able to simply get rid of them. Therefore, we will have to deal with them. Like Christian said AIs can make our lives easy by supplementing the world, imagine a world where humans no longer have to work. This is very tempting but we also must understand that AIs have to be willing to do this. I believe we will eventually figure out what it means to be human by this.

In a way we will create two categories of beings, the humans and non-humans. Therefore, in doing this humans will experience a revival of what it means to be human and not-human. This is what Christian says is part of being in "purgatory" because we will attempt to release our flaws like racism, sexism, and other socially constructed negative attributes and hopefully create one category of humans. But what about the AIs? Will they create a whole way of being an AI? This could be possible because of the division. But what I want to see is, if AIs and humans will ever become one species. This is a weird idea because I honestly do not see myself sharing status with an AI and this is why I think this will be a hard step for humanity. We are constantly in war with each other that creating a whole new conscious species is asking for more trouble. Some could say that I am not able to see the co-existence of AIs with humans because I am used to our current times. However, I hope that I am wrong because living as one would be a whole lot better than living as we do. 

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light."- Plato