human mind

Why AI Will Never Truly Replace the Human Mind

Artificial Intelligence technologies have been the breakout invention of the 2020s. Just in the last few years, AI has gone from a concept that we theorised would crack open the secrets of the universe to being used in almost every daily occurrence. The AI revolution has taken over the world in the last few years and behemoths in the tech industry make giant strides towards further innovation. The mass popularisation of AI has perhaps occurred in every industry, from writing to marketing to science to research; every field has benefited from the implementation of AI technology. 

While artificial intelligence has widely broadened the scope of what can be done in each respective field, it has also led to the rise of great concern among people. Despite AI’s unrelenting push into the depths of knowledge unknown, it has caused unease for the average layman. As each industry moves to automate certain processes in their respective assembly line of drudgery, artificial intelligence technologies keep eating up positions and duties that were previously held by people.

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: The Future of AI: Exploring the Boundless Potential of Artificial Intelligence with Daniel Doll-Steinberg

This replacement of individuals in the workforce has become a cause for concern among all working professionals. Layoffs have become commonplace and workers seem to have become expendable for all employers, essentially rendering the value of people worthless. While these trends have caused panic and are legible causes for apprehension among all, there is one thing that AI will never replace, and that is the human mind. 

Let me explain.

When employees and people are said to be expendable, it is not the humans themselves that have become valueless for employers. It is simply the tasks they do. While this may sound contradictory, employers and organisations have simply found ways to increase productivity, while also reducing the economic load. So of course they would choose to replace the people whose tasks AI can replicate. After all, in the 21st century, who isn’t chasing profits?

But there is an innate ability that artificial intelligence lacks- the ability to be original. While mundane, monotonous tasks are relatively easy for AI tools to grasp and replicate, no artificial intelligence technology can match the innovativeness of the human mind. The progression of humankind through the ages has been kindled only through man’s constant fire to create, innovate, and be original. The human race would have perished aeons ago if not were the beautiful and intrinsic ability of each generation to trump its predecessors in terms of innovations. 

The fire, the wheel, the pen, the paper, the machine I write this on, the screen through which you read; these are all products of the human mind. They are all a direct result of the brilliance of a few outstanding men and women who changed the world. The same can be said for AI as well, and those claims would stand resolute. The AI technologies of today have significant brain power behind them, with many great technological minds all coming together to play a part in the AI revolution we find ourselves in. 

As great as the prowess of these technologies has been, they are not a direct replacement for the pinnacle that the human mind is capable of. Every day artificial intelligence technologies learn and grow smarter and more knowledgeable. However, these systems, as smart as they may grow will always be inherently artificial, a mere replica, perhaps even falling short of that injunction. As long as there exists a need for humanity to create, the human mind will always lie ahead.

RELATED: AI and Artistry: How Music Shapes Immigrant Identity and Belonging with Jogiraj Sikidar

And there will always be an inherent demand for the brilliance of a few illustrious individuals to bail out the rest of humanity from whatever doom that infallibly beckons. Be it medicinal pandemics, global warming, technological revolutions, or any other disaster that strikes, it will always be the glory of the human mind’s inventions that rises to answer. Artificial intelligence can try, and try it will, but it will never have the ability to possess the original ideations and desires that a human being does, rendering it truly artificial. 

So what does this mean for the everyday person?

With the inadvertent rise of AI, it is no doubt that what can be revolutionised and replaced, eventually will be. However, as long as people continue to craft and create original ideas, innovations, and concepts, there will never be a replacement for the ingenuity of the human mind. We are burdened with the task of being purposeful, that is what grants us humanity. As long as humankind remembers that, there will never be a replacement for the opulence of the mind.

Do you have burning thoughts or opinions? We'd love to hear them! Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below to get the conversation flowing, or feel free to reach out to us at larra@globalindiannetwork.com.

Samar Takkar

Samar Takkar is a third year undergraduate student at the Indian Institute of Psychology and Research. An avid tech, automotive and sport enthusiast, Samar loves to read about cars & technology and watch football. In his free time, Samar enjoys playing video games and driving.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Latest from Opinion