Will Artificial Intelligence Develop At The Expense Of Natural Intelligence? – OpEd

Since time immemorial, humans have taken pride in the natural intelligence they possess, which helps them analyse information, process ideas, assess the pros and cons of various scenarios, and arrive at firm judgements. This is an essential human attribute that animals lack, as they are driven solely by survival instincts and do not possess the capacity to discern between good and bad.

While this natural intelligence—featuring analytical ability, memory power, and the capability for quick thinking and logical conclusions—is inherent in every human being, it must be developed and fine-tuned through practice. If neglected, this ability will become dormant and may decline over time. Failure to nurture and apply our natural intelligence effectively amounts to disregarding this God-given capacity.

At a recent consultative meeting, a school teacher from India shared an anecdote illustrating how the learning process is evolving among young students in line with technological advancements and the proliferation of electronic gadgets. The teacher recounted asking a student his age, to which he correctly responded, “12 years and 4 months.” When asked for his grandfather’s age, the student also answered correctly, saying, “79 years and 3 months.” However, when asked to calculate the difference between the two ages within 20 seconds, the student initially tried to count on his fingers before starting to look around. Upon being asked what he was searching for, he replied, “A calculator.”

The teacher noted that, in earlier times, mental arithmetic exercises were common in schools. Teachers would give students timed sums to solve mentally, aiming to encourage quick and alert thinking among students in their formative years. Nowadays, however, this practice seems to be disappearing, with many young students relying on calculators for basic arithmetic.

In the past, teachers also insisted that students memorise tables and poems, a practice intended to strengthen memory from an early age—an invaluable skill as they grew older. Similarly, précis writing was once considered an essential exercise for helping students distil the key points of a text, organise information, and convey it succinctly, aiding comprehension for the reader. Today, however, this practice appears to be fading, with many believing artificial intelligence can accomplish this task instead.

With the growth of technology, even public speaking has transformed. Many speakers now rely on teleprompters, and the art of extemporaneous speaking, which requires a dynamic thought process tailored to the occasion, seems to be diminishing.

In another instance, a college student studying world history was asked by his teacher to quickly outline the events leading to World War II. The student responded that he would need to open his laptop to retrieve the information. When the teacher stressed the importance of memory, the student replied that, in his view, it was unnecessary to retain such details when they are readily available online. He added that he didn’t see the point in using his mental resources for information that could be accessed instantly on the internet. Taken aback, the teacher was left questioning whether the student’s perspective might be valid. Noticing his teacher’s confusion, the student politely suggested that he “use artificial intelligence to find an answer”!

Despite the rise of artificial intelligence, fostering and utilising natural intelligence remains crucial. Artificial intelligence itself must be guided and assessed by natural intelligence, given that it is a creation of human ingenuity. Therefore, excessive dependence on artificial intelligence for analysis, interpretation, and judgement may pose significant risks. While artificial intelligence offers an impressive array of tools, it should be seen as a limited aid, not a comprehensive solution.

Artificial intelligence is still an evolving field, and policies regarding its use are yet to be fully developed or standardised globally. Currently, there is no international consensus on the strategies and frameworks for its implementation.

For humanity to progress as a civilised society, natural intelligence, memory power, analytical ability, and the capacity to discern right from wrong based on ethical values are indispensable. In short, natural intelligence can be complemented but never wholly replaced by artificial intelligence.

Let it not be a case of artificial intelligence versus human intelligence; rather, let artificial intelligence be scrutinised, evaluated, and deployed thoughtfully by natural intelligence at all times.