No... AI isn't going To Be The End Of Civilization

I may be one of a very slim few that have actually used a push plow on a farm.  I grew up on a farm in Northern Florida in the 70s and 80s,  so manual labor was just part of everyday life.  The idea behind this version of the plow is that it's one that is solely powered by the person behind it pushing it through the dirt.  As a teenager, this was a great workout.  Not one that I would have necessarily chosen - but a great workout in the hot Florida sun.  And, it got the job done.  It would plow a decent row as fast as the person behind it could push.  But therein lies the limitation, it was dependent on the person behind it having the strength, the stamina, and the motivation to keep going and it would at some point reach a very real limitation in capacity.

I imagine that when tractors were first introduced, there were probably those that predicted they would be the end of farming and it would destroy the lives of the traditional farmers who either relied on hand plowing their fields, or were fortunate enough to be able to have horses or mules to pull their plows.  But... it wasn't the end of farming.  Far from it... it actually ushered in the ability to exponentially expand the capacity of farming.  Instead of farming a few acres, now farmers could farm hundreds, and even thousands of acres using modern technology to meet the needs of a growing society.

So when I hear people say that AI is going to be the end of our civilization, (and some vehomently decrying it), it makes me wonder if its always been this way whenever there was a new technology.  After all, the computer wasn't the end of typing or publishing.  The internet was not the end of the brick and mortar stores.  The Cloud wasn't the end of having access to your own data.  No... all of these technologies propelled us forward as a society.  They enabled us to do more with less.  They expanded our abilities and creativities.  Were they perfect?  Were you around to use Windows Vista 😜

AI is not perfect and it certainly has a ways to go in some capacities.   But one thing is certain, this technology is developing and evolving faster than any other technology advancement we have ever seen and is speeding up every single day.  So the discussion shouldn't be around whether or not AI is going to destroy society, or whether it is going to replace people.  The same arguments were made about the tractor.  Rather, what should be discussed is how can we harness this advancement and technology catalyst to expand our capacities, broaden our creativities, and develop things we can't even imagine today.  

The question shouldn't be whether or not AI will replace people but rather will AI replace people that don't understand how to use it effectively.  After all... how many people today would even know how to use a push plow, and even more importantly... would even WANT to use a push plow. 

If you want to brainstorm on how AI and automation might bring some efficiencies to your operation - you can schedule a completely free call with the link below.  We love talking about the possibilities with this technology!

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