Artificial intelligence is one of the most fascinating and mysterious technological advancements in history.
Machines learning how to do anything from code websites to play chess to speak human languages is absolutely mind-boggling. Our ancestors would have been absolutely amazed to see the things we can now do without having a single human mind involved.
In many ways, AI has already made enormous positive changes to our lives. Artificial intelligence runs many of our favorite algorithms, exposing us to tons of new ideas and content that we wouldn’t have been able to find on our own.
It does all of this by analyzing our behaviors. It learns what we like, and from there, artificial intelligence is able to predict what we would likely find interesting moving forward.
As we move into the future, this technology will likely continue to advance. Algorithms will keep learning, keep getting better at predicting what we want out of life, and keep helping us find new forms of joy and entertainment.
But that leaves us with an important question. When will it end?
Will AI be able to predict what will make us happiest when it comes to important life choices?
What I Mean By Important Life Choices
Before we dig into that question, let’s define our terms.
When I refer to important life choices, I’m talking about major, destiny-altering decisions.
All of us face these decisions several times in our lives. We choose where to move, who to date, who to hang out with, if we want to marry, if we want to have kids, what to do with our careers, and the list goes on and on.
There is no avoiding these decisions. If we choose to ignore them, that itself is still a philosophical choice.
For example, let’s say you avoid making a choice about where to live. The absence of a decision leaves you living in wherever it is you happen to be already. That is still a choice you’re making.
This abundance of choice can make us very anxious. It can leave us feeling lost as to what we should do with our lives. How can we know which choice will result in the most happiness without experiencing all the options first? Also, read about Local Digital Business.
Can AI Help Us Make These Decisions?
Some techno-optimists truly believe that AI will be able to make these decisions for us. They claim that with a complex enough algorithm, a computer will be able to analyze your behavior, take note of your preferences, and tell you what kind of life will result in the most happiness.
While this is certainly possible, it seems to miss some very important facts about humans.
It seems one of the things humans value most is freedom. We like having autonomy. We like choosing to do things rather than being forced to do them.
An algorithm may evolve to the point where it correctly predicts the life you’d most enjoy, but to live based on that recommendation means to sacrifice your sense of self.
For this reason, I doubt AI will ever hold the key to living our best lives.
Conclusion
AI is a fantastic addition to our lives. The technology helps us be more productive and gives us a constant stream of enjoyable activities and content.
That said, it is unlikely AI will ever be able to guide our lives entirely. If we want to live our best lives, a part of that will always involve making decisions for ourselves.