Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
Will AI take our jobs?
Position‹3 of 3
Yes: AI will fully replace humans
Argument1 of 2›

AI is developing rapidly

The exponential rate at which computer and AI technology develops will result in a massive societal shift - and soon

The argument

It may appear sometimes that the growth of artificial intelligence is slower than we'd imagined - but that's because it's simply difficult to observe the rate at which it is developing. Computational power is exponentially growing, and artificial intelligence will grow out of it and change our world in an extremely short span of time. In 1940, the first programmable computer was developed. It may appear to have taken a long time to get where we are today, with smart phones as the norm and driverless cars soon to be a reality - but this is just the beginning. The exponential growth of computing power is still ongoing, we just aren't seeing how quick it is. 'Moore's law' states that computational power doubles every 18 months. Considering the growth of programmable computers since 1940, this means that a computer with the equivalent power of the human brain is right around the corner - in 2025. An AI with this level of computing power will not be restricted in the same way that human brains are by the organic limits of our energy levels. It will continue to grow and develop, and soon leave humans behind.

Context

Artificial intelligence is developing at an exponential rate like no other technology. In this sense, AI technology growth is currently comparable to human advancement - but with the potential of having far greater computational power.

Premises

[P1]AI's growth only seems slow because the rate of its development is hard to observe directly. [P2] Computational power is growing exponentially, and AI grows out of it, so it will change the world in a very short span of time. [P3] From the first programmable computer in 1940 to smartphones and driverless cars, this exponential trajectory is only the beginning. [C] Therefore, because AI is developing this rapidly, it will fully replace humans.

Counter-arguments

The rate at which computer technology has developed does not necessarily correlate to the speed of AI development. Artificial intelligence may develop fast, but still not replace human labour.

Rejecting the premises

P1 - Computational development will slow down, as all tech growth does P2 - Artificial intelligence will never be able to achieve this level of power P3 - Even if artificial intelligence becomes efficiently powered, it will never be able to compete with the complexity of human consciousness and thought