A few days ago, a group of scientists, developers and academics, including Elon Musk, called for a six-month suspension of the development of artificial intelligence applications. The letter – the text of which is worth reading – focuses on his concern that humanity risks self-destruction due to the inappropriate use of technology. Mainly because the intensive use of robotics and artificial intelligence leads to the loss of basic cognitive abilities, while social relationships are destroyed by excessive exposure to messages full of falsehoods or half-truths.

As for intensive use; The IT age, digitization, the Internet of Things and robotics pose challenges that we never stop thinking about. For example, education aimed at forming skills and abilities to build knowledge. He encounters scenarios that some describe as “easy”, because without much effort and with one click, a student can get an answer that previously cost so much. Researching in the library, reading for a long time, making summary sheets, are perceived as unnecessary and exhausting manual work; it’s more satisfying to click and have the information you want.

Artificial intelligence could affect about 300 million jobs in the world, predicts Goldman Sachs

Italy blocked the use of ChatGPT artificial intelligence because it did not comply with the legislation on the protection of personal data

Regarding the breakdown of social relationships, there are messages of varying quality on social networks, many of which are contradictory. In addition, the legal frameworks of various countries are very weak regarding important issues such as infringement of rights in cyberspace, computer crime or the use of personal and corporate data. Therefore, the absence of legislation and naivety are a dangerous mixture that leads societies to stages of disintegration and insecurity.

If information technology and systems engineering continue to develop the skills that make our lives easier, we will surely enjoy eliminating the activities that exhaust us today; But how prepared are societies if one day a “computer apocalypse” occurs, in other words, systems fail or the Internet collapses, as documented by Esther Paniagua in her book entitled Error 404: Prepared for a world without Internet? (Science and Technology).

Bill Gates welcomes the revolutionary era ushered in by artificial intelligence

The current attitude towards technology and intensive use of digital media is producing generations who no longer remember even the phone number of their closest friend. Families who don’t know what their children are seeing on the Internet and teachers who aren’t sure if the work they’re reading was created by their student or if they just copied information from the portal. It must be added that the belief that machines are superior to any human has spread and that as a society we have reached rock bottom.

Therefore, it is a good time to think. State and non-governmental institutions have an obligation to generate regulatory frameworks that correspond to the current context, and every citizen has an obligation to take care of himself and his loved ones in connection with the use of the Internet. (OR)