If preserving ‘human-ness’ is important to us, then being an active participant in that is the least we can do.
Screen-based technology has changed how we operate as humans in many ways over the last few decades.
First, we became telly addicts – shelving social occasions for nights in front of the box with our favourite programmes. We embraced sat nav, enjoying the freedom it gave us to drive recklessly into rivers and down roads unsuitable for traffic – just because it told us to. And we’re besotted with smartphones to the extent that we may even walk into people on pavements because we’re so engrossed. 😉
How will AI change us?
So, now that AI tools are reaching into every corner of our education, work and home lives, what effect will they have on us?
Writing for LSE, Moritz Sahlender has an interesting take on how we should interact with AI tools. Even though AI is just data points and technology (and very much not human), he suggests that we should extend it the courtesy of using the same language as we would when conversing with another person. He says:
Speaking politely to AI can be a conscious decision to resist the pressure to communicate like a machine. It is a way of saying that we value more than just efficiency, and that we are not machines ourselves.
He also says that we should think past our immediate need to get a quick output from AI but take a moment to consider that it is trained on all that we put into it – and that includes our language and attitude in how we address it. Would we appreciate AI being rude and talking back to us? Probably not. It’s worth thinking about!
In the end, he suggests, if preserving a human element in AI output is important to us, then setting that example as we make our requests could make all the difference.
