WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT: The Rise of the Machines

The Terminator (1984)

Most people are familiar with the ground breaking science fiction film classic, The Terminator (1984). It is a dystopian vision of what the future might hold if Artificial Intelligence (AI), i.e. The Machines, overcome the human race and destroy civilization as we know it. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as a virtually indestructible man/machine sent from the future to assassinate the woman who would give birth to the man who would grow up to turn the tide in favor of humanity. Eliminating the threat would seal our doom. It was so popular that it has actually become a franchise with a new sequel currently in movie theaters.

Of course, films are entertainment and not necessary reality. But, the question remains, could it happen? 

The simple answer is, YES.

And, it many ways it has already begun.

Robots, and robot-like machines, are already replacing humans in the work force in many ways. For example, hundreds of thousands of factory assembly line workers, particularly in the automotive industry, have already been replaced by machines who do the work efficiently, silently, and without complaint or need. No health care costs here!

And, it's spreading.

Now, when we shop, either at the food market or big box store, many, if not ALL, of the cashiers have been replaced by Auto Checkout stations where you can scan, pay for, and bag your own items - no human interaction necessary.

I have even seen it my profession - TV News. Our newscasts now contain a multitude of interviews conducted with the Internet service, Skype. It streams the video from a personal computer which is then recorded in the newsroom. You've seen them EVERYWHERE - they are the ones that look and sound like they were shot inside of a fish tank! The quality is just awful because it was NEVER designed for broadcast. It was made for grandparents to talk to their grandchildren over the Internet - and it looks it.

So, why would the news services use it?

Because it is not only CHEAP, it's FREE.

The rationale is why send an expensive professional crew to conduct that interview when you can get at least something that looks like one for free?

The problem is not only that the quality is so poor, we miss the human interaction provided by a professional film crew that makes us, well, human.  On TV, we are presented with an image that often looks less than real. In my opinion it looks robotic - literally. It lacks the warmth and honesty provided when a professional crew conducts the interview. At the store, there is no need to meet and great another person at the checkout counter. No conversation is necessary. It may be efficient, but lacks humanity.

And, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Self-driving cars/taxis, trucks, and buses are well on the way to becoming a reality. This can be seen as exciting in some ways, especially if they live up to the claim that they will make our roads safer. However there is certainly a downside as well. What will the millions* who drive those trucks, buses, and taxis do for a living? 

As long as we accept these small intrusions into are humanity, we will continue to head in the direction where machines WILL take over most, if not ALL, human endeavors. Machines will clean for us, drive for us, work for us, turn on the lights for us, AND, think for us. In fact, they already do. How long will it be before they even feel for us?

I had a discussion with a coworker on this topic and he raised an interesting point. The concept of a future where machine do most of the physical work will free us to pursue other, so-called higher endeavors like thinking and creating. We will not longer be burdened with mundane physical labor. And, isn't this a Utopian vision of what COULD be?

Perhaps.

But, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, what of the beauty created, literally, by the HAND of man? Perfect art can easily be created more simply and effectively by machines. And, what will happen to the simple human interaction of greeting a cashier, bus/taxi driver, or, even, cameraman? These are the connections that make us HUMAN.  There is an EXCHANGE of our humanity.

Additionally, what will happen to our economy? There will be tens of millions of people who will now struggle to earn a living. Some will adapt to the changing environment and learn new skills to meet new demands. But, certainly, this will not be everyone, if not even the majority. And, No work means No money which means No spending which means No economy.  It will leave us bankrupt in so many ways.

So, be careful what you wish for. Sometimes, you get it . . . 


*Heavy-duty truck drivers (1.8 million; 19.7 percent) Light-duty and delivery truck drivers (878,000; 9.9 percent) School bus drivers (507,000; 5.7 percent) Driver/sales workers (427,000; 4.8 percent)