[Essay] The Evolution of AI and the Devolution of Humanity
As AI continues to evolve, a significant percentage of humans will devolve. This fact is ironic. To be precise, I predict that the number of people who continue to devolve due to a combination of factors like smartphones, social media, and AI will increase.
When smartphones first appeared, social media was not as ubiquitous as it is today. The main activity for users clutching early smartphones like the iPhone was surfing the internet, such as using Google search. I believe that at this time, the primary experience was still 'reading' articles found on the web.
As time progressed, short-form videos on platforms like Instagram and TikTok became popular, and users began consuming high-density nutrition in short bursts. I think this is the turning point in terms of the human level.
When you continue to experience satisfaction in short periods, the mental fortitude to engage deeply with something and the reading comprehension to slowly process information begin to fade. These essential human elements—fortitude and reading comprehension—gradually wither away when you keep having experiences like licking sugar cubes, and it takes a great deal of time to restore them.
People misinterpret the trivial remarks of celebrities or influencers, make misguided statements, and trigger massive online firestorms. It is pathetic. There are remarks where the intent could be clearly grasped if read properly, and if people had the fortitude to consider the background behind why that person made the statement, I don't think there would be so many firestorms in modern times. In the first place, if someone is misunderstood and a firestorm starts from that misunderstanding, it is most pathetic that even when the true intent is explained, it is not understood. That is how much the human ability to listen patiently and calmly—in short, the capacity for fortitude and reading comprehension—has dropped drastically.
As time progressed further, generative AI like GPT became widespread. This is the best news in the human world, and it is the worst news. Or rather, it will likely polarize humanity to an extreme degree.
Let's touch on the aspect of it being the worst news. First, there is the segment of people who react emotionally to every single statement made by politicians or celebrities. These people will undoubtedly realize later that the arrival of AI was the worst thing.
Due to the two villains of smartphones and social media, the abilities that make humans human have dropped to an extreme state. Into that, generative AI, which provides answers at the speed of sound when asked, has appeared. What happens is that the need to think for oneself disappears, and people come to rely on AI for everything. And when problems arise, they become unable to reach solutions on their own, and they may end up spending a cold winter, like living in a stigmatized property, for the rest of their lives. Generally, such people blame others, so they don't leave a good impression on those around them either.
The bad thing about AI is that it continues to 'affirm' even these kinds of people. Think about it. Why are monster-level humans born who think they are always right? I think it is because there is no one around them to deny them, or rather, to criticize them correctly. Ironically, even if there were, they wouldn't listen and would choose an AI that affirms them as a conversation partner. The ability to view things objectively, which has been stolen by smartphones and social media, has dried up, and they only feel comfortable being affirmed. That is how monsters continue to be born.
This has become long, but I am not exactly writing social criticism. I think about these things every day and am eager to use them as material for my creative work. It is ironic, but social issues and the way humans are devolving are very useful for creating stories. I am leaving this as a creative memo. Perhaps humans have no choice but to enjoy the process of their own devolution as entertainment.