Ariella Hodaya Naidoo - Gr 11- Meadowlands AI has incredible potential to support us in learning, creativity, and increase our productivity. it is important that we learn how to use AI wisely, without letting it replace our thinking, creativity, or human connection.
Image: Supplied
Have homework? No problem, just use AI. The application which seems to know everything, almost like it was a gift from above. It is the quickest and most "efficient" way to finish our everyday tasks. However, as AI becomes a normal part of our lives, I believe it raises a bigger question: are we relying on it too much?
In my view, although AI is now normalised, it is something way beyond our comprehension. AI scientists describe it as an alien-like super-intelligence, capable of learning, analysing and generating ideas in ways that mimic and surpass human thinking. And yet students and workers use it for common, mundane tasks. I worry that by relying on AI for basic everyday work, we risk forgetting how to do even the simple stuff ourselves.
AI has been around for quite a long time, first invented in the 1900s, when scientists began exploring whether machines could imitate human thinking. Over the decades it developed and was released to the public in the 21st century. Since then, it has been normalised and is continuously improving.
But as AI develops, I think we must ask ourselves: are we evolving with it or devolving?
For students and workers, I have noticed that over-reliance on AI makes us dependent. One simple app or website can do everything for us, sometimes even better than we can. This can often discourage us from even trying when we know there is a quicker and more efficient way to get results better than we can produce without effort. In my experience, this is critical for communicating. It almost turns us into zombies, as thinking becomes something we do less and less every day.
AI is also affecting our creativity, which is something that was once unique to the human race. Writers, movie directors, actors and even singers are all being threatened with replacement as AI is now being programmed to generate realistic-looking content. What once required practice, imagination and effort can now be produced instantly by a machine. In less than ten years, we have already seen the effects of AI. As it keeps evolving, I wonder if we will soon lose even more jobs. AI is already taking over entry-level positions, the ones teenagers often use to gain work experience. It can perform simple jobs more efficiently, does not need sleep and does not require pay. Yet many people continue to use AI for basic tasks without seeing the potential dangers.
From what I have seen, AI has also greatly impacted our social skills. Many teens cannot carry out a normal conversation with others because when chatting with AI, conversations are smooth and completely user-focused. However, real-life conversations are messy, unpredictable and imperfect, making socialising awkward and stressful. Over time, I think this can make people more anti-social and closed off.
I do believe AI has incredible potential to support us in learning, creativity and productivity. Nevertheless, if it becomes too normal too quickly, it risks making us dependent and eroding skills that are essential for our lives. As teens growing up with this technology, it is important that we learn how to use AI wisely, without letting it replace our thinking, creativity or human connection.