Being human in an age of A.I.

‘When I grow up I want to be HUMAN!’ Imagine this as the life path your child or teen would consciously consider in a rapidly developing age of artificial intelligence (A.I.). Let's explore what is means to be human in an age of A.I.

In his ‘Space Odyssey’ books (written half a century ago) Arthur C. Clarke envisaged a future society that had evolved into robotic machines; humans clad in technology, programmed with downloadable knowledge, spending much time in a virtual reality. Much of what this visionary conceived is upon us!

Technology is fascinating, essential and full of inspirational design and having robots will surely add another dimension to our world. In the race to embrace robots and artificial intelligence, how many will keep sight of the elements that distinguish us as human beings?

At Inspire fest 2018 in Dublin, Tim Leberecht (Co-founder & CEO of the Business Romantics Society) addressed the audience on the topic of ‘Business Romantics’. He had this to say about being human in an age of A.I. ‘the question is not will robots be able to think like humans but, will humans be able to feel?’ He added, ‘are we engineering the romantics out of our lives?’

In essence he was talking about love; the creation of stories and the pursuit of dreams. Those things that propel us forward and give us something to aspire to, other than being a functional part of a large machine. Our capacity to feel is surely vital to our existence as humans!

"The question is not will robots be able to think like humans but, will humans be able to feel?"
Tim Leberecht,
Co-founder & CEO of the Business Romantics Society

I confess, over 20 years ago I was an endangered human, long before I was aware of Arthur C. Clarke or any developing age of A.I. Over time I had reached the conclusion that it was better not to feel at all and to think only of work. I was avoiding some critical areas of my life and as people say ‘forgetting the past’. This was the recipe for my disaster which thankfully resulted in what I refer to as my ‘Break True’ in 1999.

From that moment on, l began to grow up as a HUMAN! I realised that I am someone whose strengths are empathy, intuition, creativity and meaningful communication (story-telling in all its forms). I had to work at developing these strengths and bringing them to the fore. I call this my ‘Authentic Path’.

It is so easy to numb out of living and get lost in the latest gadgets, TV shows and social channels. Living life like a machine running on auto-pilot is not a new scenario but it could become a habitual way of existing for multitudes if awareness is not created alongside the development of A.I.

While robots and artificial intelligence will play very useful roles in our development, it is us humans who need to also develop in our awareness so as to create a world that reflects the best of who we are and can be.

Alexa Gorman (Global Vice-President at SAP.iO Fund & Foundry) also spoke at Inspirefest 2018, on the topic of ‘A.I. and Diversity’. She drew attention to the fact that, left unchecked, bias get picked up by A.I. and gets incorporated into algorithms. Alexa gave the example of the ‘Tay’ bot experiment, where the twitter bot, picking up on the interaction of trolls, very quickly transformed into a racist, sexist bigot and had to be shut down after only 16 hours. Alexa pointed out that ‘we need to consciously choose to reflect the world around us to reduce biases. She also mentioned that 180 biases have currently been identified and classified and she finished up by saying that ‘diverse talent is required for inclusive A.I.’

"We need to consciously choose to reflect the world around us to reduce biases."
Alexa Gorman,
Global Vice-President at SAP.iO Fund & Foundry

As much as A.I. may benefit our lives, it is vital that we constantly evolve our capacity to be human, not just to think but to feel, to have compassion, to contemplate and to make real, a world of inclusivity and respect. This has always been at the heart of our survival.

In my article, ‘Five Steps to becoming a robot, is this happening to you?’, I highlight some of the ways we may be neglecting to stay human. Are you ready to move forward as a human?

Thank you to Darragh Doyle for providing my blogger ticket to Inspirefest 2018. Follow Darragh on twitter @darraghdoyle

Are You Becoming an Endangered Human?

Developing self-awareness is crucial for success in all aspects of life. Modern living offers us many paths to neglecting ourselves, leading to burn-out. I help people to move towards being more authentic and I believe this is the key to wellness, happiness and success. I believe it's never too late to change, to develop new out-looks and by doing so we make it possible for others to do the same.

Join me for Authentic Path Inspiration or check out my range of books, courses and coaching services.

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5 Steps To Becoming A Robot - Is this happening to you?

Human Check-In

Imagine a mechanical society with no thinking or feeling, everyone rushing about on auto-pilot, elbowing out of the way anything that appears on the horizon that doesn't match in with their preferred mode of existence. Would you be happy with this? Do you think it’s already happening on our streets? How can keep you in touch with your human side and does being authentic even matter?

The following questions may help to determine if you are in danger of becoming a robot.

Q1. Is your life running completely on schedule, every minute accounted for, your targets maxed out to the last with someone reminding you that you could achieve a little more if you try harder (that someone could even be you).

Q2. Do you only read articles that start with headings such as '5 Steps To This' and '3 Ways To Do That' because you don't have time to read real life stories of personal interest which aim to impart wisdom in a more meaningful way?

Q3. Do the important people in your life have the opportunity to connect with the flesh and blood version of your true self? Are you around long enough and present for that to happen?

Q4. Does your food taste really good? Does it interest you at all? Can you smell the subtlety of flowers and does colour have any impact on your being? What about birds, are they just for birds?

Q5. Can you feel your toes? Are you becoming numb to what's inside and outside of yourself? Do you expect to be repaired like a machine when part of you stops working, without your input or without any change from your current mode of being?

"Assuming you are still human, use your intuition to decide if you are in danger of becoming a robot."
Caroline Cunningham
Authentic Path Coach

What do you need to do to keep robot life at bay?

A healthy mind and body is one that is nurtured from the inside out. Without proper attention to both you’re in danger of neglecting signs that your health may be deteriorating. Developing self-care strategies that lead to resilience, stand to us in times of challenge such as when there are upheavals in your work or personal life or both. It’s not just about eating the right food and getting the right amount of exercise. We need strategies for managing the effects of stress and better coping mechanisms in general.

In addition, touch therapies such as reflexology help to keep us in touch with our human side by alleviating us of the tensions that build up over time. By developing the senses, absorbing colour, smell, taste and sounds, we have the ability to be more present to ourselves and others.

Knowing is Not Enough

Even when people know what they need to do to maintain their wellness, studies show that knowing is simply not enough. The biggest obstacle to putting self-care strategies into place and implementing them is actually due to a default feature of the human brain. In my coaching programmes I show my clients how to deal with these obstacles in order to stay on track for successful living.

"Aim to enrich your life. Show your human side. You deserve the best of care."
Caroline Cunningham
Authentic Path Coach

On behalf of actual robots, I apologize for implying that you are not appreciated in our society. The first robot I ever learned of was Hal (of Arthur C. Clarke fame), he paved the way for all robots and raised a lot of sympathies. As for us human’s, it’s better for us to remember that we are in fact human.

This article was finalist in the business category of Ireland Blog Awards in 2015.

Are You Becoming an Endangered Human?

Developing self-awareness is crucial for success in all aspects of life. Modern living offers us many paths to neglecting ourselves, leading to burn-out. I help people to move towards being more authentic and I believe this is the key to our wellness, happiness and success. I believe it's never too late to change, to develop new out-looks and by doing so we make it possible for others to do the same. Join me for Authentic Path Inspiration or check out my range of books, courses and coaching services.

Care for Authentic Humans