Advait Sarkar

What if AI gets to the point where it can do a better job of thinking than humans?

Why should we care so much about protecting and augmenting human thought?

There's two reasons.

First,

There may always be ways of thinking that remain unique human strengths of which we may not even be aware.

Second, perhaps more importantly, we take the position that the ability to think well is essential for human agency and empowerment and flourishing.

This echoes an ancient question.

People once asked, you know, if writing, if books, if the internet can remember for us, does it matter that we cannot?

People once asked if maps can navigate for us, does it matter that we cannot?

Now we ask, if machines can think for us, does it matter that we cannot?

If machines can speak for us, grieve for us, pray for us, love for us, does it matter that we cannot?

To me, the answer is pretty obvious.

When I began studying human-AI interaction 13 years ago, it was inconceivable to me that we would be asking these questions in my lifetime.

But we are, and we must.

I leave you with this thought.

What would you rather have?

A tool that thinks for you, or a tool that makes you think?