However, according to Dr. Cornelia Walther, How We Can Harness AI to Fulfill Our Potential (Knowledge at Warton), as we increase AI into our daily routines there is a growing risk of delegating too much of our “cognitive autonomy” – diminishing our ability to think critically, make independent judgments, and maintain a sense of personal agency.
Stanford studies have shown that when individuals rely excessively on AI, they tend to experience a reduction in cognitive engagement and decision-making capabilities and a study published by the MIT Sloan School of Management highlights the dangers of an overreliance on AI in decision-making processes can lead to a decrease in critical thinking and problem-solving skills among professionals.
The biggest challenge of the 21st century may be our ability to maintain and enhance our independent thinking while leveraging the power of AI. We can address this challenge by adopting four assets: Attitude, Approach, Ability, and Aspiration.
Attitude: Cultivating Awareness, Appreciation, Acceptance, and Accountability
To counteract the risks associated with AI dependency, we can start by adopting a specific attitude – cultivating awareness of the capabilities and limitations of both AI and humans, appreciating their respective potential, accepting the responsibility to use AI ethically, and holding ourselves accountable for the decisions made with AI assistance. A word on each:
Awareness: Understanding the scope and constraints of our own minds — and of AI — helps us set realistic expectations and avoid blind trust in its outputs. Awareness involves mindfulness, staying informed about AI developments, and being critical of the data and algorithms that drive these systems.
Appreciation: Recognizing what makes us unique as human beings and how AI serve us in complementarity ways – harnessing technological benefits while retaining our critical faculties. Appreciation involves acknowledging AI’s contributions to efficiency and innovation, but not at the expense of our judgment and free will.
Acceptance: Embracing the ethical implications of AI usage means accepting our role in ensuring these technologies are used responsibly. This includes being vigilant about the biases of humans and algorithms, and the ethical concerns in AI applications that reflect those.
Accountability: Holding ourselves accountable for AI-driven decisions ensures that we remain active participants in the decision-making process. Accountability involves regularly evaluating AI’s impact on our choices and adjusting as necessary. Ultimately, we are responsible for the outcomes that derive from the technology in our lives.
Approach: Aligning Aspirations to Values and Actions
Adopt an approach aligning our aspirations with our values and actions – ensuring that our use of AI reflects our personal and societal values and that our actions are consistent with these principles.
Aligning Aspirations to Values: Using AI should align with our core values, such as fairness, transparency, and inclusivity. This alignment helps prevent the misuse of AI and ensures that its deployment serves the greater good.
Aligning Values to Actions: Translating our values into concrete actions is crucial for maintaining agency. This involves implementing ethical guidelines and practices in AI usage, advocating for responsible AI policies, and participating in discussions about AI’s societal impact.
Ability: Developing “Double Literacy,” or Brain Literacy and Algorithmic Literacy
To preserve our agency amid AI, we must develop “double literacy”: a 360-degree understanding of both our own cognitive processes (brain literacy) and the mechanisms behind AI systems (algorithmic literacy) and how they interplay.
Brain Literacy: By understanding how our brains work, we can better recognize when AI might be influencing our decisions and take steps to mitigate this influence. Brain literacy involves being aware of cognitive biases and the ways in which AI can exploit these biases.
Algorithmic Literacy: Knowing how AI algorithms function allows us to critically assess their outputs and identify potential flaws or biases. Algorithmic literacy involves learning about the data, models, and assumptions that underpin AI systems and using this knowledge to make informed decisions.
Both types of literacy must be embedded in a holistic understanding of people and planet, and the kaleidoscope of constant change in which technology is increasingly omnipresent. AI holds the promise to enhance our lives, at work and at home. Whether it fulfills that promise depends on our ability to understand what it is (not) and who we are (not).
Aspiration: Embracing the Vision of a Society where Everyone Gets a Chance to Fulfill Their Potential
What if our focus moves from scarcity to abundance, and from judgment to curiosity?
AI might serve as an ally in exploring unknown parts of our own frame of mind and expanding existing resources, whether it is knowledge or material assets to make all ends meet. Whether we are moving toward an age of abundance or perpetrating the status quo of scarcity depends on our Attitude, Approach, and the Action that we take — but most importantly, it depends on the Aspiration that underpins them, online and offline.
It is a slippery slope from experimentation with AI, to regular use of AI, to reliance and full-blown AI addiction. Hence our biggest challenge today may be to consciously curate our cognitive autonomy and the power of personal agency that depends on it. By investing in cognitive autonomy, we are positioning ourselves for a journey where we remain the masters of our own decisions.
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Walther, Dr. Cornelia C.. How We Can Harness AI to Fulfill Our Potential Knowledge at Warton. August 20, 2024. https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-we-can-harness-ai-to-fulfill-our-potential/