I just had another email pop up about how artificial intelligence is the way forward. And I wondered what had happened to just plain intelligence.
Then, when I accidentally spelt artificial with a “v” instead of an “f”, the autocorrect function came up with all sorts of alternatives, including “altricial”… but not “artificial”?! Which made me more convinced that we are on a strange path. Birds and animals communicate perfectly with each other through the ether using their intelligence. Fish, penguins and turtles know exactly where they have to go thousands of miles away to breed or nest following their instinct. And most living creatures heal themselves without any external help. I think the more dependent we are on AI, programmed information and maps, the less we are using our own intelligence. The other day, an elderly lady in a “cash only” store in Arab Street knew that my shopping was going to be less than the $7 I had in cash just by looking at it. I was about to get out my phone to add it up! Could it be, as in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, that the animals will take over? I reckon we could be taken over fairly easily by anyone or anything at the moment. Many of us are already following external and subliminal messages rather than our own intuition. No one really knows how long humans have existed for, but even if the research that says we’ve had our current brain size for about 130,000 years is true, it’s been a while. Are we getting any better at using it? What would you like for Christmas? We’ve got plenty of great physical ideas in this issue. I have my eye on a new pair of trainers … my old ones are starting to walk on their own. And, I would also be happy learning to communicate better through the ether and in person. If the animals can do it, then so can we! A little more conversation and a little less doubt – sounds like the perfect Christmas song …