Dubbed by some as ‘The Decade of Destruction’ and by others as ‘The Information Revolution’, the last ten years have been dominated by change and innovation. But do more recent developments, such as Artificial Intelligence, pose a current existential threat?
Let’s set the scene: tech advancements witnessed over the last decade
- The total amount of data used across the globe increased from 2 zettabytes in 2010 to 64.2 zettabytes in 2020, projected to rise to more than 180 zettabytes by 2025
- As of July 2024 there were 5.45 billion internet users globally, that’s 67.1% percent of the global population
- Advancements in home broadband have led to increasingly faster average connection speeds — the broadband speed league reveals how the global mean download speed almost doubled — from 24.8mbps in 2020 to 46.8mbps in 2023
- The biggest social media platforms surged in popularity — Facebook surpassed one billion registered accounts and in 2024 is sitting at more than three billion monthly actively users
- Widespread business digital transformation to the cloud is underway, propelled forward in part by the coronavirus pandemic. The public cloud computing market is expected to reach $675 billion dollars in 2024
- The launch of 5G in 2018–2019, said to be up to 100 times faster than 4G, is transforming the mobile device and connectivity experience
- And last but not least…the advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI), its history stretching back to the 1950s. It went mainstream in 2020, thanks to developments in Generative AI (GenAI) technologies, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and DALL-E, which continue to bring almost inconceivable productivity benefits
The data above represents only a mere snapshot of notable milestones, yet the picture is crystal clear: it has been a decade of unprecedented change. A decade fuelled by major technological advancements; their discoveries now seamlessly ingrained in all aspects of our lives.
Technology is everywhere (and in 2024 so is AI)
We see it all around us: in our work, our study, our relationships, in entertainment, healthcare, our social lives — so much so that it’s hard to imagine our lives without technological intervention. And herein lies the danger: the risk of overreliance on technology. A risk only further exacerbated by emerging tech developments like AI, enticing us with promises of efficiency and productivity.
If we continue to let our reliance on tech grow without restraints, we could find ourselves in a terrifying reality where instead of humans calling the shots, technologies like AI dictate the terms to us.
With every great advancement comes a cost
No, not the financial kind — but a human cost. One that goes unnoticed (or is just flat-out ignored) in favour of humanity’s relentless pursuit of progress. Developments in the realms of science and technology offer such alluring benefits that it’s almost too easy for humans to brush aside any perceived trade-offs. We can’t argue with the fact that GenAI technologies such as ChatGPT do make aspects of our lives quicker and more productive. And that’s what anyone should want, right?
No, at least, not always.
The true existential danger posed by AI today
The rise of mainstream GenAI has also been accompanied by widespread anxiety. Worried for their futures, people speak fearfully about future AI developments. Much of the narrative centres on a perceived apocalyptic threat to human existence: that one day AI will decide the world is better off without humans, and act on it. Whilst I agree that AI does pose an existential risk, I think it’s one of a different kind.
For this apocalyptic threat to become reality, AI would need to become fully sentient. As it stands, artificial intelligence technologies are a long way off from achieving this. They lack the capacity to make broad judgements, only being capable of executing specific tasks prompted by humans.
We do face an existential AI risk right now, but it’s not apocalyptic, at least, not yet. Instead, it is one more philosophical in nature:
The gradual erosion of our cognitive abilities.
What are these cognitive abilities? How does emerging technology affect them?
They include abilities such as critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, decision-making, memory and social skills. Fundamental attributes that make many of us who we are . Abilities that are often regarded as essential to being human.
Endless technological and scientific advancements may make our lives more efficient. Yet studies have shown that overreliance on technology (further worsened by AI) also reduces the need for us to use these crucial cognitive skills. It’s happening right now: algorithms are already taking over aspects of human decision making. Some of them even going as far as to undermine our human capacity for judgement.
We are already facing ethical dilemmas related to artificial intelligence too. One such example is AI bias, which not only brings the reliability of AI technologies into question, but also poses a substantial risk to fairness and equity on a large scale. Imagine a world controlled by a biased AI; where humans have lost their capacity to make rational decisions or think critically. I shudder at the thought.
What can we do about it?
I know…it all sounds very pessimistic doesn’t it? But it’s not all doom and gloom yet. AI is still in its early stages, with emerging technology still relying largely on human input to function. We still have our agency, and we still have a choice:
Are we going to shape technology, or will we let it shape us?
To prevent the latter all it takes is a shift in mindset. To consciously become more aware of our technology use. This needs to apply to future use as well as present day use; we should remain vigilant of the impact of new technological advancements.
Ultimately, we need to cease embracing every shiny, novel development with open arms, and add some guardrails.
We are not powerless. Each and every human can prevent over-reliance on technology by consciously seeking to strike a healthier balance: where tech is used mindfully, whilst setting boundaries that encourage us to maintain our cognitive abilities. In doing so, we can protect the abilities that make us human.
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