To be human is to err. To dream. To love. To hate. To destroy. To create.
To be a machine is to be accurate. Fast. Reliable. Replicable.
Once machine intelligence enters the mainstream, there is no turning back. Fast robots will produce faster robots. Algorithms will create algorithms. Human intelligence will render our ability to compute obsolete. Schools will no longer offer math or science classes because there will be no need — AI robots will be unerring in those disciplines, so it will be uselessly redundant for humans to learn subjects at which they will never excel.
Instead, schools will offer art curriculums. Work will no longer be labor. "Work" will be art. Because to be human is more than the ability to compute. To be human is to imagine. Humans can feel.
Machines will allow humans to express humanity. As brilliant as AI might be, it's dominated by the laws of logic. Machines can't dream. Algorithms can't ponder the impossible, because the impossible doesn't compute.
The bottom line: No logic can govern the human imagination. It is more complex than outer space: infinite and ever-expanding and ultimately unknowable. In 2035, humans — defined by their flawed minds and irrational emotions and imperfect organs — will continue to materialize unprecedented ideas and tell unexpected stories.
Other voices in the conversation:
- Dmitry Glukhovsky, author of Metro 2035: As always, humans will seek God
- Marie Lu, author of Warcross: We will adjust to a new normal
- Annalee Newitz, author of Autonomous: Intelligence is a fragile thing
- Ramez Naam, author of Apex: AI will democratize our future