If our brain was a computer, it would be as big as 1 city block, would need a river to cool it down & require a nuclear power plant to energise it. Our brain, however, operates on 20 Watts - equivalent to a dim light bulb today.
Throughout history, there have been multiple ‘aha’ moments where the future has been imagined in extraordinary ways. Video calls, computer tablets, wi-fi, robots, personal assistants, drones, 3-D printing, smart watches, jet packs, bluetooth handsets & even automatic doors that we all use in our daily lives were once alien concepts.
In the last few decades, we have all witnessed the milestones achieved by technology. Big Data & Deep Learning emerged as groundbreaking advancements that catalysed the shaping of an intelligence that will radically alter the way we live - Artificial Intelligence. Glimpses of this future we’re seeing unfold right in front of our eyes. The change is going to be unbelievably drastic in as little as 3 to 5 years from now.
But the question is, will or rather can AI replace us humans?
In my book, ‘This Book is About You’, I explore the relationship between our thoughts, words and actions, and how our brains have the power to control these three the way we want them to be through our choices and decisions. The things that we repeatedly see, hear, say and interact with shape our next moves.
Isn’t this the basic function of AI - to gather data, learn from it and predict what we will do next?
It was the functioning of a human brain that became the inspiration for the creation of Artificial Intelligence. So, how can something that our very own intelligence created, replace it?
AI can only replace us if we allow it to.
Rather than consuming our time in debating over this, we should be focused on how to turn it into an ally to solve the challenges that we are faced with. The way to achieve this is by continuously working on the building blocks of our own intelligence – thoughts, words and actions, through the cyclical process of Reflect-Focus-Execute.
There is not a better time than today to flex our brain, a muscle that has the ability to perform 1 billion billion calculations per second, towards its full potential. History proves that if you can think it, you can do it.
‘Artificial Intelligence’ was modelled after ‘Human Intelligence’ – the infinite intelligence that has ever existed & will exist till the end of times.
So, I ask you, can you be the infinity that AI continues to explore?
It was a pleasure sharing my thoughts on technology, its implications and future at TEDx LUMS.