Over the past 30-plus years, my younger brother, Dr. Pat Langley, has collaborated in publishing more than 300 articles and papers, and has also authored and co-authored eight books on the topic of Artificial Intelligence.
He chose the career path in the early days of the discipline, going back to his studies at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he received his Ph.D. in cognitive psychology in 1979. That’s when he started his work in the brand new discipline as a research associate.
Certainly his expertise in this area does not qualify me to write on the subject in any depth, but I do have some thoughts I’ve been wanting to convey for quite some time.
Recently, I came across a short article in The Economist, which has been in publication since 1843. I found the article, “Human Obsolescence — How quickly will machines sweep man aside?” quite intriguing.
The writer’s research was limited to simply polling hundreds of attendees at two AI conferences. Of course the opinions and hopes of the attendees are obviously biased.
In summary, the study indicates that machine learning is making positive strides, but humans will not be obsolete for quite some time. The most optimistic attendees feel that could happen by mid-21st century, while the most pessimistic believe we’re possibly 200 years or more away from that event.
Now it’s time to get to the heart of the matter.
Just as we experienced the Industrial Revolution, we will one day experience the Artificial Intelligence Revolution. Machines will continue to do more and more tasks presently performed by humans, but there will still need to be a human element involved in many tasks.
What we’re really dealing with is storing and disseminating knowledge at an extremely fast pace in an efficient manner. Man has his and her limitations in processing data in making decisions, but we also need to include the heart in those decisions. That’s why I feel man will always need to be an integral part of the solution in all critical disciplines.
The field of medicine is now utilizing data through the power of machine learning, along with the greatness of the human mind to make huge strides in how critical diagnoses are made regarding medical treatment. Doctors make mistakes and machines make mistakes, but when the two work together, there’s an opportunity for fewer errors.
Perhaps we can even apply the biblical principle from Ecclesiastes 4:9 in which we’re instructed, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work.”
Together, we can experience what’s known in business as synergy when two agents can produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects. Cooperative interaction and combined effort can often improve results.
All this appears to be good, but I believe there’s an underlying agenda in all this energy to harness knowledge and learning. Since the beginning of time, man has wanted to be like God. In fact, many desire to be gods.
Well, I can’t change what appears to be natural in man and woman, but I can point out a flaw when I see one. In Isaiah 29:16, the prophet instructs Israel, “You turn things upside down, as if the potter were to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘He did not make me’? Can the pot say to the potter. ‘He knows nothing’?”
I’m sure we’ll continue to make great strides in blending machine function with human function for the good of mankind. I just hope we don’t lose sight of Who is really in control and think we are more than we are.
In 1 Corinthians 1:25, Paul tells us “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” If anyone loses track of this critical precept, perhaps they have already taken a step toward their own obsolescence.
In Proverbs 3:5-6, we are instructed “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
We’d all be wise to heed these salient words penned by King Solomon 3,000 years ago. God can certainly take care of Himself, but don’t let yourself become obsolete!
Passages to Ponder
— Jim Langley has been writing for more than 30 years while working as a life and health insurance agent in Santa Barbara. In recent years, his passion has turned to writing about his personal relationship with God, and his goal is to encourage others to draw near to Him as well. As a longtime member of CBMC of Santa Barbara (Christian Business Men’s Connection), he started writing Fourth Quarter Strategies columns in 2014, and he now reaches an international audience through the CBMC International devotional Monday Manna. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.