December 16, 2023
Generative AI is not just another technological marvel—it's a seismic shift in how we will interact with the world. As generative models become increasingly complex, we're now entering an era where these systems are no longer bound to just structured interactions like text generation; they can now interpret, generate, and integrate data from multiple modalities. Visual inputs such as images and video, audio such as speech, and even complex combinations of multiple types of data can be processed instantly. And this is only the beginning.
In a world where AI can seamlessly interpret and create visual art, compose symphonies, or hold a multi-faceted conversation indistinguishable from one with a human being, we're beginning to see the true breadth of what artificial intelligence can accomplish. But what's equally remarkable—and perhaps disconcerting—is what AI is teaching us about ourselves.
Historically, tasks that require significant cognitive power have been held in the highest regard. Whether it's solving complex mathematical equations, creating music that moves the soul, or writing literature that challenges the way we think, the ability to create, remember, and reason has been the gold standard for valuable human work. Not only do these skills promise economic prosperity, but they also add layers to our sense of self: to be skilled at mental and creative activities has always been seen as a pinnacle achievement—traits that separated us from the "rest" of the natural world.
But what happens when these elite talents—the very abilities that define modern professional hierarchies—are fulfilled more competently by machines?
For close to a century, the mental labor required of doctors, engineers, CEOs, and creative artists has been viewed as irreplaceable, intellectually demanding, and valuable. But as forms of generative AI improve and extend into multimodal capacities (vision, speech recognition, natural language understanding, etc.), we find ourselves at an unprecedented crossroads. The kind of work that once required long years of education, dedication, and practice may now be automated by machines efficiently.
This disruption isn't just economic—it is existential. The achievements we once deemed invaluable may lose their societal luster amidst growing AI efficiency, and with it, our own self-worth might come into question. This is not simply about unemployment; it's about identity.
Ironically, AI's role in outperforming us in these domains is forcing us to re-examine where our true value lies. If machines can possess the "hard skills" that once formed the foundation of status, what are we left with? Perhaps you'll recognize the disturbing reality that this progression is challenging humanity's collective ego.
To confront this, let's revisit the role intelligence has played historically in shaping both personal and societal identity. Intelligence, as we've understood it, has been prized as the ultimate faculty from which productive labor, creative output, and problem-solving emerge. But crucially, this definition of intelligence was always tied to economic utility. As the labor market continues to shift toward automation, what happens when that utility becomes redundant?
In some ways, the advent of AI forces a reevaluation of late-stage capitalism's metrics of human worth. For decades (or arguably centuries), our human value has been tethered to our ability to generate economic output. Doctorates, MBA, coding expertise—all linked to how well we can "add value" in marketplaces measured by scarcity. You knew you were essential if your skill couldn't easily be replicated.
But now the scarcity seems to be fading. Algorithms have no need to 'rest,' and their outputs are not contained by limitations of fatigue or human error. As this continues, the skills that were once our ticket to success in society are being rapidly devalued. Tasks we thought only top-tier academics or creators could handle—like predicting a stock market trend 10 years out or drafting a corporate legal agreement—will increasingly fall into AI's domain instead of human hands.
This prompts us to ask the uncomfortable question: If everything that once made someone “valuable” within a labor-based system of capitalism can now be handled by machines, what's next? What is left for us to do, to be?
One surprising answer might lie in what are traditionally called "soft skills"—emotional intelligence, intuition, empathy, and communication. Skills that, so far, remain somewhat elusive for AI to master. While machines may soon walk the walk of philosophers, composers, or economists, they are still—and may always be—woefully deficient in the more ineffable domains of human experience.
Think of love, compassion, care, humor. These traits lie in the messy, unpredictable emotional spectrum that AI currently struggles with. By shifting our evaluation of what is meaningful towards aspects of humanity that algorithms historically haven't captured, we might find a liberation in redefining “value.” Instead of valuing productivity, we might start to value virtuousness or the capacity for human connection. In other words, AI might push us closer to being rather than just doing.
But why would this shift occur, one might ask? Societies always evolve based on what is most esteemed, most rewarded. If AI takes over the "hard" work, it frees us from the economic rat race that demands we always do in order to be worthy. Could this then spark a renaissance of human flourishing, guiding people toward areas of life where neither competition nor scarcity dictates worth? Perhaps we'll become not just more humane, but more human.
Generative AI won't just be a tool of convenience—it will be a mirror, reflecting back to us who we were, who we've become, and who we might yet be. As we grapple with a future where machines handle even our most cognitive, complex tasks, we may find that what we once valued most—intelligence as a competitive advantage—was only a stepping stone to a deeper understanding of ourselves. And thus: even as AI grows ever-more human-like, it may, in the end, make us more human.