AI has the potential to alter the human experience exponentially. Think back to a time before we had access to the internet or computers, and how different life was even 50 years ago. Our lifetime vs our parents’ lifetimes have already undergone intense change, and AI is speeding that change process up.
2023 alone has witnessed breakthroughs in AI: ChatGPT took centre stage and shook up the creative industry, and brought to light the long-term impact that AI can have. However, it hasn’t always been this way - and there are still criticisms (rightly so) about AI and the human experience. How do we strike the right balance? How do we soothe the anxious minds of those who think that the world will be overtaken by robots?
We’ve spent some time unpacking the AI vs Human Experience argument, and have detailed our thoughts below.
Where has AI had the most impact and why?
At present, AI has revolutionised the Healthcare industry:
“AI can already pass the medical licensing exam to become a doctor and read an x-ray as well as a radiologist. Soon, AI’s accuracy in diagnosing medical issues and recommending treatment plans will surpass humans. Every doctor will have an AI copilot assisting them. Regulatory pathways already exist to bring clinical AI to market, and we’re encouraged by early signals of partnership by lawmakers and regulators.” - Andreessen Horowitz
Alongside becoming a copilot for many doctors and healthcare professionals, AI technology can also speed up the drug discovery process, getting drugs to market in a quicker, more efficient way.
AI has proven itself in the healthcare industry due to its speed and agility, but also its accuracy. Could this be because elements of healthcare are considered more straightforward? (for example, reading a result from a test as positive or negative) or because the Healthcare industry has found a way to harness AI in a way that is still considered human-centric? These are all valid questions posed.
Of course, there are still criticisms of AI within Healthcare and there are many scenarios where AI can still get things wrong, but the bottom line - and why we believe Healthcare and AI have worked in harmony, is because there’s an open-minded approach to change.
AI-based/AI-focussed Biotechnologies and Pharmaceutical companies are consistently popping up, and there are dedicated funds and investments specifically for AI technologies within the Healthcare industry.
Two great examples of this are Babylon Health and BenevolentAI.
Babylon Health
Babylon Health is a service provider that uses an AI-powered platform with virtual clinical operations for patients. This enables patients to be connected with healthcare professionals via their website or app.
They’re then matched with the relevant healthcare professional due to the AI platform matching them based on their signs and symptoms disclosed through the app. This enables faster, more accurate treatment as well as higher accessibility for patients who wouldn’t traditionally be able to access a doctor or healthcare professional quickly in the past.
BenevolentAI
BenevolentAI is a Drug Discovery platform that is born from data analytics, relying on Machine Learning and Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Their platform can analyse masses of data, as well as take this data and use it to speed up the drug development process - taking their own drugs to market and having a strong pipeline.
Criticisms of AI and how it distorts the human experience
Although AI has positively impacted many industries, there are still a ton of criticisms of AI and how it distorts the human experience in particular. Let’s look back to a world before technology. Life was harder in many ways, but it was also a lot simpler.
We didn’t have AI algorithms pushing content through our TikTok’s to keep us addicted to our phones for longer. We didn’t have access to endless, almost incomprehensible information across social media that has been proven to cause mental health issues. The human experience, arguably - should be simple and be driven by choice.
However, AI and other technologies almost take these choices away from us as our behaviours are predicted by data that we’ve willingly (or unknowingly) given to the platforms that we use on a day-to-day basis. This allows our human experience to then become manipulated.
“Manipulation can take many forms: the exploitation of human biases detected by AI algorithms, personalised addictive strategies for consumption of (online) goods, or taking advantage of the emotionally vulnerable state of individuals to promote products and services that match well with their temporary emotions” - Bruegel
There is also the phenomenon of “Uncanny Valley”, mostly seen on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Also, a slight form of manipulation, Uncanny Valley relates to the feeling that humans get when they’re faced with a piece of AI technology that is a bit too similar to that of a human, blurring the lines and creating unease.
Uncanny Valley can also be applied to AI-generated personalities, a great example being LilMiquela. A self-proclaimed robot, to the untrained eye she looks a little too similar to a real human.
How can you maintain a human approach in an AI world?
We aren’t experts on how you can create the perfect balance of AI without distorting your own human experience, because in some ways we have all sold our souls to AI through the data that we’ve provided. However, there are some things that you do to maintain a more human approach in an AI-based world:
Be careful where and when you share your data
Data is what powers AI, and when using programmes and websites online, your data is always being collected. You don’t have to always opt-in to data collection, nor do you have to subscribe to an online magazine or service. Having mindfulness around this can help!
Don’t forget the importance of human connection
Finally, living in a digital world, it’s easy to forget that before all of this - the world still spun, and the sun still rose and set morning and night. We are so reliant on technology - AI being a part of this - that we forget that this should be an addition to the human experience, not a replacement for it!
