Rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) : Is it a pathway to permanent dormancy of Human Intelligence?

Author: Shrima Chudal

Last Updated: August 26, 2023

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Can we imagine ourselves writing something without a single thought? Can we imagine ourselves gathering global data within seconds? We cannot. However, Artificial Intelligence seems to do it all for us. How easy do you think life would get if we didn’t have to use our brains at all? Sounds like the easiest job.

We human beings are designed to take ownership of our lives for everything we do. We are required to make mistakes to learn from them. We are designed to perform things with imperfection that will teach us about perfection.

Humans have proved to have an extraordinary power to have been able to discover innovations and build technologies that now bring every one of us into a different era of life. We have been left with very little space to put effort as natural beings. Our intelligence and cognitive abilities have been better applied in robots and computer-based devices with the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology of creating and administering human intelligence and creativity into a system to make it able to think, work, and perform just like humans.

AI requires a team of developers and engineers who embed the fastest yet reliable functionality that can easily perform tasks within seconds. These AI can be designed with the customization of any intelligence at any level. Basically, with the development of AI, humans have been provided with unknown dependencies for their core skills.

What does an AI do?

In simple words, AI works for you. It performs every task you offer in no time at all. AI has been designed in such a way that it can even read your mind and detect your facial expressions.

It gives you exactly what you want that automatically meets your expectations. AI can handle all of your work for school, office, and any other workplaces at any time and from anywhere without you having to put in any effort. However, there is a fear that has arisen lately. A fear of AI replacing the human workforce.

Rise in (Artificial Intelligence) AI

The use of AI has now been a mandatory criterion for every new invention that takes place. Every new mobile phone has AI embedded in its system that humans have no control of. Every car gets built with the system of AI. Every tool of marketing has been upgraded with the use of AI in it. People all over the world are very familiar with this technology and have been practicing it in their day-to-day lives.

How does AI impact on Human workforce?

AI has reduced the need for human creativity and innovations lately. Employers have stopped recruiting people for tasks that AI can easily do for them. AI has been perceived as a sustainable and economically suited tool. It has shown a higher level of efficiency than any other discoveries yet. But today, people fear about having their professional lives jeopardized.

Nowadays, we are hearing rumors of AI technology replacing the entire human workforce and their expertise by showing greater efficiency in any work. AI can detect errors and scan entire available information worldwide to give the best possible work. A single system of AI can perform multiple functions in many different fields.

AI can solve your problems mathematically, scientifically, economically, politically, systematically, and beyond these. From content creation to designing from idea generation to marketing, from desktop research to general survey, AI has proved to be as much efficient as needed. This creates job-related insecurities among workers, Job replacement being of them.

Impact of Rise in AI on Human Psychology:

The rise in the use of AI negatively influences many aspects of Human Psychology.

1. Isolation:

With the rising attention to AI technology, people have felt a sense of isolation from their networks. Because of their in-built capacity, people are required to put less effort into completing tasks for which they used to be appreciated. There is a sense of detachment among people from their workplace and competencies. People feel the worthlessness of their knowledge and expertise. 

2. High Dependency:

With the integration of AI technologies, people are gradually depending upon AI automation to work for them. People have become dormant and inactive after the steady rise of AI. The availability of AI sets a boundary for people which limits them from using their intellectual abilities.

Children depend upon AI for their assignments, employees depend upon AI for increasing their work quality and efficiency. Businesses depend upon AI for generating ideas, creating content, promoting products, and knowing their customers.

3. External Control:

Have you ever noticed that your feed on social media platforms resembles closely with your likes and preferences? That is because an AI constantly tracks your activities online and generates similar content for you. So, whatever you see on social media platforms is controlled by an AI. So, you are losing your control over what you see and what you don’t. 

4. Privacy Invasion:

As mentioned above, an AI can extract your private information and data to keep track of what you like and dislike. An AI may also use your data and information for surveillance without you even realizing it. This privacy invasion takes away the trust of AI people.

Impact of Rise in AI on Mental health and well-being:

There lies a very thin line between the positive side of using AI and its impact on the mental health of people. These impacts are associated with stress, fear, anxiety, depression, and many more.

4.1 Stress

The rise of AI has increased the stress of losing Jobs among employees. Students and adults are in a dilemma in choosing careers because of the stress of AI replacing their potential careers.

4.2 Fear

The rise in the use of AI increases the likelihood of dehumanization. People are in the fear of having their lives changed by the influence of AI. Privacy Invasion is an emerging fear among people worldwide. People are afraid of being misused by AI-generated fake videos and photos that look very similar to real ones. There is a challenge of spreading uncertain information and misinterpretation.

4.3 Anxiety

The thought of AI causing a threat to humanity gives anxiety to people and causes mental distress. Although AI-based chatboxes are effective in providing psychological counseling to people worldwide, uncertainties associated with AI-generated content give rise to anxiety.

On the other side, people have been dependent upon the use of AI for literally everything. This habit can cause people anxiety when they can’t get access to AI at any point in time. For example, Chapt-Gpt, and Perplexity are some of the most commonly used AI currently.

4.4 Depression

Human beings are competitive by nature. After knowing the ability and intelligence of the AI-based technology, people can take it too personally. This behavior may lead to depression. Employees are required to work harder and learn new skills to be competent enough in their jobs which may enable long-term work pressure.

How to minimize these impacts?

• The community or society needs to create strict guidelines and boundaries for the use of AI.
• Employers need to create an enabling environment for their employees to use their creativity and innovations for the given tasks.
• The government should formulate rules and regulations directed to limit the negative influence of AI on human psychology and mental health.
• AI users should use it only when resources are limited.
• People should encourage and appreciate each other for their work and efforts.
• The interference of AI in personal life should be monitored regularly.

AI has several other positive effects on people’s lives but the overuse and misuse of AI outweigh the negative influences of AI. Every individual has the right to be protected against any ethical misconduct. The mental and psychological well-being of humans has to be prioritized by everyone. 

About Author

Author is student currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in public health in Pokhara University . She is actively engaged in researches of mental health/psychology and has worked in several projects related to mental well-being.