Will consciousness be the only thing humans have left?
3 comments
The answer can be whatever you want, as no one can agree what exactly "consciousness" is.
If you define "consciousness" as "something that humans have, but machines don't", then we'll always have consciousness.
If you define "consciousness" more mechanistically, like "being aware of something internal to one's self", then AI can already do this.
If you define "consciousness" as "something that humans have, but machines don't", then we'll always have consciousness.
If you define "consciousness" more mechanistically, like "being aware of something internal to one's self", then AI can already do this.
Writing -> We stopped needing to remember everything (outsourced memory)
Printing Press -> We stopped needing to copy knowledge by hand
Calculators -> We stopped doing math in our heads
The Internet -> We stopped needing to "know" facts. We just look them up
LLMs -> We are starting to give away reasoning and combining ideas
What is next?
Soon, AI will likely handle:
- Planning
- Ideas
- Execution
What remains for us?
If AI does the "thinking" and the "doing," maybe humans are left with only:
- Experiencing: Feeling what it is like to be alive
- Choosing: Deciding what we actually want
- Valuing: Deciding what is important or "good."
- Being aware: Just being a witness to the process
And not sure if these are "safe" human roles? Or will AI eventually take over "choosing" and "valuing" too? If an algorithm knows what you want before you do, is our consciousness still in control?