Artificial intelligence and human stupidity

After the blockchain revolution that was supposed to change the way the internet works, the artificial intelligence revolution has arrived with even more ambitions: no less than changing our lives forever, according to its enthusiasts. But the experts who work with it have long been warning of the risks and potential downsides of a technology still in the testing phase, and which, due to its apparent simplicity of use, is being adopted by millions of people at breakneck speed. It is true that the blockchain has changed many things and has great potential. But its example also advises us to be cautious with the expectations generated by all new technology. Because, as is obvious in the case of AI, there are often hidden commercial and industrial interests behind the so-called great technological advances. Experts who have been working in AI for years constantly warn of this aspect and against its thoughtless use. In Catalonia, a lot of work has been going on for some time, in fields such as health, science, business, etc., that offers great potential for the future. And that’s why we need to listen carefully to the warnings of scientists and developers. Yes, AI really is a technology with great potential, but at the same time it can have harmful and counterproductive effects. We are still far from an AI that could match, and then rapidly exceed, the capabilities of a human mind. In fact, it is still in an experimental phase, and before putting it on the market and in the public domain, governments and the EU would need to set a regulatory framework to prevent the devastating damage it could cause our way of life, and our economic and social model. AI will test our ability to deal with change and learn, and just as the emergence of anything this big and new excites some, it terrifies others, while providing sci-fi plot lines for years to come. We still have time, and it is to be hoped that the advice issued by experts from all over the world will be taken into account. Because there is a real risk that artificial intelligence will unleash human stupidity.