By Tim Leogrande, MSCP, Ed.S.
Updated 09:18 PM EDT • Mon May 22, 2023
Since before the industrial revolution, people have criticized the work product of machines by claiming only humans can adequately perform certain tasks. Mathematician Ada Lovelace (née, Byron) was one of the first to make this claim in August of 1843. After she wrote the world’s first computer algorithm for Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine, Lovelace implied that only humans are capable of original thought,
The Analytical Engine has no pretensions whatever to originate anything. It can do whatever we know how to order it to perform. It can follow analysis; but it has no power of anticipating any analytical relations or truths.
We can update Lovelace’s claim by observing that while the calculator application on your mobile device may be much faster and less error prone than paper and pencil, it is merely replicating operations that people can already carry out themselves. Unlike us, the calculator isn't creating innovative mathematical postulates and then setting out to prove them. And although Artificial Intelligence (AI) has recently benefitted from significant technological advances, there are several tasks where humans continue to excel.
Lovelace’s diagram of an algorithm for the Analytical Engine for the computation of Bernoulli numbers. (PDM, Ada Lovelace)
One area where we still prevail is creativity. While AI is capable of generating novel ideas and content, it lacks the emotional depth and subjective understanding of humans. We can express ourselves through visual art, music, and literature in ways AI is incapable of because we have the ability to understand and connect with emotions, thoughts, and experiences. This allows us to create works that are deeply meaningful, relevant, and impactful.
Another domain where humans eclipse AI is complex decision-making. AI can be programmed to make decisions based on data, but it lacks the intuition and uniquely human ability to weigh intangible factors. Conversely, we are able to make decisions based on a combination of logic, intuition, and emotional intelligence. This ability is essential in complex situations where data alone cannot provide a comprehensive overview.
Humans can also adapt to changing circumstances and adjust their decision-making processes accordingly. In situations where there is no clear answer, or when multiple complex and rapidly changing factors must be weighed, we still hold the upper hand. Notwithstanding, the skills gap between humans and AI is narrowing at an astonishing pace and this is likely to have a tremendous impact on several aspects of daily life.
Garry Kasparov was the world chess champion when IBM’s Deep Blue defeated him in 1997. At the end of the match, Kasparov accused the researchers who developed the computer of cheating because he detected original thinking and an inspired degree of creativity in its strategy and tactics. This is Lovelace’s assertion recapitulated. Only people are capable of original thought. If a machine appears to be creative, there must be a little man pushing buttons and pulling levers behind the curtain.
Across a wide range of mental tasks, however, AI is currently superior to almost everyone.
Lee Sedol (이세돌) during a game of Go against Kim Ji-seok (김지석), Seoul, 2012. (CC BY 3.0)