Artificial Intelligence and the Crossroads of Human Liberty

The year is 2024 and we find ourselves amidst another technological revolution. Just like how the internet revolutionized the 90s and smartphones changed the 2000s by providing everyone with a handheld computer equipped with GPS and camera functions, we are now witnessing the emergence of artificial intelligence as the next major breakthrough.

In 2023, ChatGPT surprised the world with its capacity to not only answer questions coherently but also compose complete essays on demand. While AI's initial language may have been a bit awkward and a work in progress, it has since made significant advancements. Other AI programs like Elon Musk's Grok have also emerged, fostering rapid progress through competition.

As technology continues to evolve, AI takes center stage in discussions regarding the future of human freedom. With AI becoming more integrated into our daily routines, from automating routine tasks to influencing decision-making, it is crucial to consider how this technology affects our liberty, creativity, and lifestyle.

The Relationship Between AI and the Freedom to Choose One of the main philosophical concerns that revolves around AI is the issue of personal autonomy. If AI can make decisions for us based on algorithms and data patterns, where does that leave our free agency as human beings? Of course we have the agency to use AI at all, but once we use it, the temptation to let it take over can be greatly appealing. As we allow AI to take over more and more tasks, they lose the human element. As the human element is lost, society becomes increasingly robotic and monotone, not just because of the lack of human understanding, but because the choices AI may make can also limit the range of possibilities we otherwise might have considered. In abandoning our critical thinking capacity and yielding it to the almighty mind of AI, the choices it makes may not, in fact, actually be in our best interests. But then, who would know?

Creativity in the Era of Artificial Intelligence As our choices become automated and narrowed down, AI will also manufacture creativity. While there are benefits to this in an economic sense, when it comes to true human art, AI is no match. It is, by nature, artificial creativity, and therefore lacks actual authenticity. It is the imitation of humanity, not the real thing. If we are not careful and allow AI to become too influential in its creative applications, it can influence us to the point that we will become imitations...of our own selves.

The Intersection of AI, Society, and Economic Freedom As AI usage becomes a part of daily life, a very real threat is posed to our human freedom. Automation can result in the displacement of workers, potentially leading to widespread unemployment and a devaluing of human work. If AI takes over labor, how will we define concepts such as property and worth? Universal Basic Income (UBI) has been proposed as a possible remedy to the complexities technology will introduce into the economy, but this has very real philosophical and political push-back as many would consider it a form of socialism, or simply putting the entire population on government welfare while discouraging achievement, ingenuity, and the dignity of work. While these are valid criticisms, arguments have to be effectively made from the conservative end to address the emergence of this new technology as it completely revolutionizes our society in ways never before seen. If not, Universal Basic Income will likely be the way of the future.