Empowering the human is a piece of the puzzle often missing from the fast-paced tech world but remains one of the most important drivers of success and true disruption. Think about the people behind the companies creating or using the most innovative technologies—even the biggest businesses rely on human creativity and emotional intelligence as much as they rely on technological development to survive, let alone thrive in the digital age. Algorithms, data sourcing, analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence. These are all digital advancements that are discussed in the context of technology and the sheer computational power of the machine. But what many business leaders fail to understand is that machines can’t solve problems alone. Humans solve problems. Machines are the enabler, but without situational context and logic, these technologies can never serve as a replacement for humans.
So, what exactly does this mean for the future of humans and intelligent technology?
The Colossus mark II computer, Bletchley Park, 1943.
The Emergence of Artificial Intelligence
Alan Turing, a renowned mathematician and computer scientist, played a pivotal role in cracking Germany’s Enigma code during World War II and is widely considered the father of artificial intelligence. Yet, only when business logic was inserted into the machine, was he able to crack Enigma, eventually leading to the end of World War II. Turing was also the first to test machine learning against a human counterpart with the aptly named “Turing Test” in 1950. The Turing Test was designed to see if a machine could exhibit behavior that was indistinguishable from that of a human. While there are now many kinds of artificial intelligence that can pass the Turing Test, even the most advanced mission-critical scenarios, such as autonomous vehicles or military drones, require human input.
Humans have always utilized tools to achieve better outcomes, whether it was with fire, the advent of the wheel or written language. Why should modern technology and machines be any different? One of the most important figures in computer science, J.C.R. Licklider, described an idea for human-computer interaction that he dubbed “man-computer symbiosis” in 1960. Licklider predicted the creation of computer software that would work in tandem with humans, allowing people to think and interact alongside computers the very same way that humans interact with other humans. While Licklider wasn’t far off in his prediction, when you consider the ubiquity of human-smartphone interaction, the notion of human-like communication and collaboration with technology can’t come to scale without humans. AI may stand for artificial intelligence, but there remains nothing artificial about it. A far more apt name to describe AI—considering the human origins and ultimate result being the magnification of human intelligence—would be Amplified Intelligence.
Human-Centered Amplified Intelligence
Machines are good at linear computations, but they are still very bad at logic. Machines need a constant feedback loop in order to learn and improve over time. It is this continuous learning throughout the life cycle of processes that is considered “self-learning.” However, many fail to recognize the significance of the human element in not only the deployment of artificial intelligence, such as building machine learning models, but in operationalizing intelligence and acting on new insights. In 2016, Microsoft unveiled Tay, a Twitter bot that was meant to be an experiment in conversational understanding. While the technology was meant to provide casual and playful conversation, it quickly devolved into racist, misogynistic and political conversation, based on the content it received. A cautionary example of what goes in must come out, but also a clear demonstration of technology’s inability to replace human reasoning, logic or empathy.
Computers are most certainly capable of extraordinary tasks, but human programming remains the ultimate influence behind successful algorithms. Human intelligence is needed to create any form of automation, and therefore the resulting automated processes possess no inherent intelligence themselves. Human beings are, and will remain, the single biggest factor in successful artificial intelligence and intelligent analytics.
close-up view of person and robotic arm playing chess
What Can We Accomplish?
While Microsoft’s Tay is a clear example of the limits on artificial intelligence, there is by no means a limit to the potential of what can be accomplished with amplified intelligence. Similar to J.C.R. Licklider’s prediction of man-computer symbiosis, when people work together with machines as a means of amplifying human intelligence, humans can solve extraordinary problems. This is true both in machines ability to take on tedious tasks and allowing humans to focus on higher-value work, but also in enhancing the current work humans are doing to achieve exceptional results. For example, algorithms can analyze data from pre-op medical records, which can then assist a surgeon during surgery. In the event of disasters and extreme weather, data analysis and intelligent algorithms can be used by humans to more accurately predict and plan an emergency response.
While the abilities of humans paired with machines seem to be limitless, the process in which humans interact with machines is equally important. Case in point: In 1996, reigning grandmaster chess champion, Garry Kasparov, went head to head with IBM’s new supercomputer, Deep Blue. Kasparov won the first match. A year later and after millions of dollars of upgrades to the machine, they had a rematch. Deep Blue beat Kasparov 3.5 to 2.5, and the debate over man vs. machine raged on. However, in 2005, a new tournament was held, and in this tournament, humans and machines could enter as partners rather than as adversaries. The results were fairly predictable in the beginning, in that the grandmaster chess champion with a supercomputer would always beat a grandmaster working alone. However, the end results shifted when two amateurs with three relatively weak laptops beat every other competitor, even the grandmasters with the most powerful supercomputers. The amateur's ability to coach the machines on key moves and board strategy was superior to the computational power of a supercomputer or the expertise of a grandmaster. This is human-computer symbiosis at its finest.
As we advance in the future, machines computational power paired with human intellect and intelligent orchestration will come together to form one of the most powerful unions for human advancement. Follow along as we explore the application of uniquely human capabilities to advancing technological innovations.
