I’ll Have an Old Fashioned
With Artificial Intelligence (AI) becoming somewhat of a “mainstream” term, the connotations, hypothetical scenarios, and predictions are never-ending. Whether we are for it, or against it, AI is here to stay- it is no longer the future, we are living and breathing it now.
Recently there have been quite a few conversational and language AI software and applications that have been released to the public. While their intent is to assist users with everyday functions, play games, simulate scenarios, write code, poems, lyrics, etc., there have been some negative responses from an academic and educational perspective. To some, this isn’t a tool, it’s a device that students may use to cheat their way through assignments. From a cybersecurity perspective, this is another way for phishing emails to be written with little to no effort from attackers. From an economic standpoint, this technology could take jobs away from our current and incoming workforce.
While many of these concerns are valid and should be taken seriously, I do believe that humans will not and cannot ever be replaced. Despite our advanced abilities to code or program machines to do what we want them to do, at the highest level of perfection possible, there is always going to be something missing. When it comes to institutional knowledge, that cannot be taught. Veteran employees hold an immense amount of value and should be protected. As new employees come in, they will look to these vets for guidance simply because of the time they’ve done and in the best-case scenario, they will model their career path after them and strive for that same success.
This trend can be seen in professional sports. The more seasoned star players are the ones who attract the incoming talent. They have the most experience, knowledge, and success. Teammates and fans will follow these seasoned players wherever they go, with the hope of self-improvement, mentorship, and of course- some nice hardware.
Although there is no “I” in the word “team,” there are certain, talented individuals that you can count on to lead an entire team to a championship. In fact, most recently in the 2023 World Series, we witnessed an example of this with Texas Rangers shortstop, Cory Seager. This 29-year-old, two-time World Series champion is on the path to greatness, and I foresee him being one of those “model employees” that no computer could ever replicate. After winning his first championship with the LA Dodgers in 2020, the organization was unable to see Seager’s true potential as a franchise player. The Dodgers let Seager walk, which turned out to be a huge mistake as he ran right into his second championship, with a team you’d least expect it from. While it was somewhat of a Cinderella story, there is something to be said about the other former Dodgers that joined Seager in Texas and celebrated yet another victory.
We all love a feel-good sports story. The raw emotions we have watching our favorite team win or lose are something that could never be programmed. We’re emotional creatures and that’s what makes us unique, gives us personality, and separates us from anything artificial intelligence could ever generate.
So, while I do enjoy the innovative, groundbreaking technologies that we can bear witness to in our lifetime- there is nothing like good old-fashioned, human intelligence.