Which Skill Will Set Apart Humans from AI in the Future?

The historical progression of artificial intelligence (AI) has been marked by a constant shifting of the goalposts. What once seemed impossible for machines is now within their reach. As we approach an era of increasingly sophisticated AI, the question of what uniquely sets humans apart from these intelligent systems becomes more urgent than ever.

Historical Evolution of AI Goals

The initial goal for AI, set by Alan Turing himself, was playing chess. However, this goal was soon surpassed as computer processing power and advanced algorithms allowed machines to outperform humans. The quest for intelligence and reasoning also faced limitations as AI systems increasingly relied on heuristics and neural networks rather than strict logical rules.

Reasoning vs. Probabilistic Models

At one point, reasoning was seen as the ultimate challenge for AI. However, as algorithms have advanced, AI has become better at dealing with uncertainty through probabilistic and stochastic methods—stonchodastics and neural networks—which mimic the workings of the human brain rather than human reasoning about them.

Current Frontiers of AI

Another frontier that AI was thought to struggle with was creativity. Yet, the emergence of tools like DALL-E indicates that even this domain is becoming more accessible to machines. Heuristics, randomization, and brute force approaches are currently chipping away at the traditional advantages of human creativity.

Common Sense and Knowledge

Humans have long prided themselves on their common sense and real-world knowledge. However, despite significant efforts, AI systems such as QPG continue to face challenges in this area. This led to historical attempts, like the one by Doug Lenat to encode all world common-sense knowledge into an expert system, which became a subject of ridicule among computer scientists.

The Future of Human-AI Skills

As AI continues to evolve, the focus has shifted towards soft skills that are often associated with emotional intelligence (EQ). These include skills such as management, nursing, and pastoral care. Proponents argue that these are the areas where AI will struggles to compete with human capabilities.

Challenges to the EQ Argument

While these soft skills are indeed important, some experts argue that it might be too soon to assume that AI won't develop in these areas. AI has already demonstrated the ability to simulate certain aspects of reasoning, creativity, and common sense. If an AI can pass a Turing test (where you can't tell the difference between a human and a machine), then the argument that AI lacks a certain human trait may become less persuasive.

William Gunn and other insiders working on AI systems remain optimistic that with more data and refinement, these systems will improve and avoid the pitfalls that have hindered them in the past. It's clear that while AI continues to advance, it is far from outclassing humans in every aspect of cognitive function.

Conclusion

The future of human-AI dynamics will likely see continued evolution in both AI and human capabilities. The question of what truly sets us apart from machines remains open, and as technology advances, so too will our understanding of this boundary.