It is a Sunday and as usual I feel I must say a few things about this subject or that….and this week it is a subject that seems to be making news daily, AI and what it could be doing to our brains.
AI is being used by many people to write their blog posts or their latest novel or paint a picture for them….I have written many times that I do not use it that I had rather do my own research and writing…..but for those that think it is easier and the ‘bee’s knees’ more power to them.
Atrophy:
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a decrease in size of an organ caused by disease or disusesynonyms:wasting
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any weakening or degeneration (especially through lack of use)
Now for the reason for the definition….
Just like smartphone GPS has harmed our sense of spatial cognition and memory, artificial intelligence may soon impair our ability to make decisions for ourselves — an outcome that would be, one expert warns, “catastrophic.”
In an interview with PsyPost, neuropsychology expert Umberto León Domínguez of the University of Monterrey in Mexico said that his new research shows that AI chatbots may end up not just mimicking our speech patterns, but significantly harming our cognitive functioning in general.
Like many other educators, Domínguez said he’s concerned about how his students are using tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Spurred by those concerns, he told PsyPost, he began to explore ways AI chatbots “could interfere with higher-order executive functions to understand how to also train these skills.”
“I began to explore and generalize the impact,” the researcher said, “not only as a student but as humanity, of the catastrophic effects these technologies could have on a significant portion of the population by blocking the development of these cognitive functions.”
Instead of being a helpful addition to human consciousness, the Mexican researcher argued in his paper that he’s worried about “cognitive offloading,” or the use of AI in place of the types of mental tasks like problem-solving that we currently do the old-fashioned way, by thinking. To use a physical metaphor, over-reliance on AI for thought processes may weaken our minds the way not exercising weakens our muscles — leading, ultimately, to atrophy.
https://futurism.com/the-byte/ai-atrophying-brain
I agree with his findings….although I am not a neuro professional I do have an opinion and that is what separates me from AI.
Just so you know.
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
This makes me concerned as well. I’ve been noticing some troubling things for some time now. I know a lot of people who seem to use Google search as an extension of their brain, a substitute for their own memories, for example. Search engines have now replaced doing basic research almost everywhere. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing in itself, but it becomes a very serious problem when the search results are not reliable, as is the case with just about everything on the internet these days.
I know a lot of people who can’t even do simple math without using the calculator in their cell phones. In fact I’ve seen a lot of people who can’t do simple math at all even with a calculator. They don’t understand how even basic arithmetic works.
I am old and still want to do my own research….I have noticed the things that you listed as well….chuq
The damage will be done before anyone acknowledges the last effects – or takes any action to correct it – people don’t know addresses or phone numbers any more, because their device remembers it for them – until there is a power outage and then we will see how ready they are to adapt to a life without AI
Sue was saying the same thing….what will people do if there is a EMP that destroys their electronics….my guess is pain and then turn ugly. chuq
Heck, I know a lot of people who can’t even cook the basics like rice or beans or potatoes. They survive on pre-packaged convenience foods and take-out. If the grid ever does go down for a significant amount of time over a very large part of the country, it’s going to be absolute chaos.
I have some acreage way up north in the middle of nowhere, mostly woods. There are some days when, after watching the news, if I were about 20 years younger, I’d be building an off-grid cabin up there just in case.
GF I have considered that as well…a bit of modern homesteading….November may hold the key for me. chuq
I think that we have opened ‘Pandora’s Box’ with AI, and it may well one day destroy humans by one means or another. That might be a good thing though, as it will give Nature a chance to reclaim the planet.
Best wishes, Pete.
I agree….AI is already destroying critical thinking….what is next? chuq