VALUING HUMAN INTELLIGENCE IN THE AGE OF AI 

Photo by Nikada Getty Images (via Canva)

“Our moral responsibility is not to stop future, but to shape it . . . to channel our destiny in humane directions and to ease the trauma of transition.” —Alvin Toffler

AI: BLESSING OR BURDEN?

Alvin Toffler was one of many futurists who forecast that advances in information technologies would accelerate the pace of societal change and dramatically restructure our lives. In 1970, when Toffler’s bestseller Future Shock was published, some readers couldn’t imagine that the changes he predicted would come true, yet many of them—such as information overload, a term he popularized—are common today.

While helpful, the futurists’ forecasts didn’t prepare us well enough to manage the chaos and disruptions that accelerated change brings. “We’re used to riding the rapids of technological change, but social change, historically, has proceeded at the pace of a stream meandering through a dense swamp,” writes futurist Philip Slater. He goes on to say, “The recent speed of social change has put a strain on our adaptive capabilities.”

EARLY IMPACT OF AI

Nowhere is this phenomenon more apparent than in the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). AI refers to computer technology that can perform tasks that normally require capabilities associated with human intelligence, such as reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making. Though the prospect of AI reducing the burden of work is attractive, recent data shows that once the novelty fades, AI may actually increase workload. This increased workload can foster cognitive fatigue, burnout, and weakened decision-making as the Harvard Business Review recently reported.

Writer and marketing expert Ann Handley describes it this way: “Email was supposed to streamline communication—and ended up being our whole job. Smartphones were supposed to untether us from the desk—but now we are never untethered at all. . . . Now in waltzes AI, promising to give us time back. But what's actually happening is that AI seems to be intensifying work.” But what if, instead of AI spreading uncontrollably, we leveraged human intelligence to decide where and how AI can be meaningfully used in work and life?

SERVING OR ENSLAVING? 

“We’ve seen this before,” Handley continues. “Every time a tool promises relief, it somehow ends up raising the bar.”

But the problem I see is that only one side of the bar is raised—speed and convenience rise while quality frequently falls. Not only is this a reminder that AI doesn’t replace human-generated intelligence, but also it alerts us to the dangers of allowing AI to assert authority over us.

“To survive, to avert what we have termed future shock, the individual must become infinitely more adaptable and capable than ever before,” writes Toffler.

Again, Toffler’s advice on what’s needed to survive future shock is helpful, but the problem of how to fulfill this need is up to us to solve. Clearly we must leverage human intelligence to decide where, when, and how AI can be best used in work and life.

MOVING FROM COPING TO CAPABLE 

Merriam-Webster describes intelligence as the ability to learn and understand, to deal with problems, and to have exceptional discernment and judgment, especially in practical matters. Thinking about intelligence in this way, the irony is that in a technology-mediated world, we need more human intelligence, not less.

The irony is that in a technology-mediated world, we need more human intelligence, not less.

In contrast to the complex tasks of developing machine intelligence, cultivating human intelligence mostly requires routine use of the advanced health-building practices that enable high mind-body performance. By maintaining high levels of mind-body performance, our access to human intelligence becomes inexhaustible. And as a collateral benefit, using these practices also mitigates the anxiety and stress that most of us experience during periods of accelerated change.

Embracing AI may be trendy, but whether we consider it a blessing or burden hinges on our ability to manage it successfully.

Helping people increase their capacity to prosper in times of accelerated change is a priority of Advanced Wellness Systems. If you or your company want a robust and radical approach for solving modern, health-related challenges, contact us and find out more.

Joyce M. Young, MD, MPH 
Managing Director, Advanced Wellness Systems
Lead Expert for the High Health Network

 Photo by: Slatan 

“A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels.”  —Albert Einstein