The Theseus Paradox named after the Greek hero Theseus, who repeatedly replaced some parts and wooden planks of his ship, Argo, with new ones throughout his voyage. The paradox revolves around the conundrum, that If eventually all this ship’s original parts were slowly replaced, is it still the same ship?
I just read a very disturbing article on AI and its ‘Ethical’ implications. It brought to surface my un-articulated concerns with
- How far will this rabbit hole go. And will we get lost and lose touch with “reality” (even more?)
- Will our future generations lose their ability to think critically and imagine on their own, and do we then have a moral responsibility (and not only think of being more productive)
This perspective is not an indictment of technology; rather, it emphasizes the necessity of maintaining a balance—the “AND”—between AI’s capabilities and human ingenuity. By embracing both aspects, we can maximize the benefits while minimizing the downsides, remaining open and aware in our approach
The pun is not lost – Open AI AND Open Minds.
The Paradox of Efficiency
The increasing reliance on AI tools to tackle challenges and influence creative processes presents a paradox: while these technologies enhance efficiency, they may simultaneously diminish our capacity for critical thinking, creativity, and emotional connection. The tools are often marketed with promises of time savings—yet, I often wonder, what will we do with this saved time? What may be the evolutionary impulse?.
Will we want to get “even more” productive? Now that you have more time – do more or will it (finally) offer an opportunity for deeper engagement with our lives and communities?
In my work with organizations, I see this very often, as WFH has become the norm, people complain tht they are busier NOT more relaxed. (Use the time saved in commute for a couple more meetings – be more productive).
Law of Diminishing returns:
Our growing reliance on AI tools, and algorithms to tackle challenges, make choices, and influence our creative endeavors brings about a paradox: while it enhances efficiency, it quietly diminishes our ability to think creatively critically, innovate independently, and connect emotionally. Or worse, even see and notice that it is diminishing.
As an ardent student of Jacob Moreno, the father of “Psychodrama” a methodology that brings the Interconnections of people to the fore, highlighted that when individuals become overly reliant on external systems or structures, they often lose their innate creativity and spontaneity, leaving them feeling “stuck.”. To put it differently, when someone/group is experiencing stuckness, what they lose first is their creativity and spontaneity (their agency).
The fast rowing over dependence on AI , is getting us to lose out own creativity, ergo – lose agency and become “Stuck”
In the not so distant future, It’s not too hard to imagine, someone gets very “productive and creative overnight, learns and churns content – and what if suddenly that tool stops or malfunctions, and we have to DIY? – because by then the “system” is expecting that Quality and speed. What THEN?
Cognity Autonomy and sustainability
This may seems like a scene from Matrix, but yes, to restore the human touch in our thinking and feeling, we must actively strive to maintain or regain our cognitive autonomy and emphasize human values in our approach to solving adaptive problem, especially when sustainability is a looming
Starvation and Responsibility:
As an article from HTEC points out, the phenomena of “Starvation” – The decline in the brain’s ability to think critically and independently, as individuals become accustomed to accepting algorithm-driven outputs without questioning or analyzing them.
This ought to make us sit up and take notice, no?
The increasing automation of decision-making processes can lead to a decline in our capacity for independent thought and emotional engagement.
This also automatically begs the question, what kind of impact is it going to have on the “Decision” we make for our children, our teams, our planet? Will we delegate them to AI? And is the absolving us of the moral responsibility? Will AI be the fall guy if decisions go wrong?
“In doing what we are doing – what are we really doing?” – Raghu.
We are in real danger of short sightedness. Non systemic approach to understanding and managing the polarities, we could potentially cannibalize the very fabric of human values and connectedness.
Maybe even more now, the values of Community, Purpose and creativity is felt, so that we don’t make the decisions that neglect long-term emotional mental and ecological health.
I am sure many of us are seeing children and adults, increasingly having a more committed relationship with their iphone, ipad and the games they are playing. People relying on technology to connect and even find out what’s going on in the lives of their loved ones. We NEED to up our game. Our Curiosity is dying.
Being, and Staying Human:
Perhaps it’s time we raise the question about identity and change. If over time, our thinking, creativity, decision making curiosity is slowly outsourced, how would that reflect in being human, over time?. Maybe it’s time for us to imagine, that these times, will compel us to come together as humans rather than allowing AI to dictate our interactions.
We must not ignore the question posed by AI: “Are you human?” (please tick the box)
It does implore us to pause to reflect on this question – What does it mean to be human, in this context?
Maybe it means, we still care, still contemplate stil have our values to guide us. It involves recognizing our shared vulnerabilities, values and the impulse to foster community connections, and prioritizing long-term emotional and ecological health over short-term gains.
As we grapple with these challenges, let us remain vigilant and aware of the ups and downs on both and keep the focus on cultivating our innate capacities for creativity and critical thought—qualities that define our humanity amidst the rise of artificial intelligence.
