Becoming Human – Questioning Artificial Intelligence

Can we humanize a piece of machinery?

One that responds to all out needs

And understands our complexities and necessities

Will it benefit you and me, or all of society?

Can it respond to human emotion?

Will it walk, talk, and speak with human motions?

Can it be fooled by variation?

 

We’re in the age of technology, it’s plain to see

Changes increasing in frequency, almost daily

The level of connectivity rising exponentially

An invisible web of shared electricity

Invading the life of each human being

A paradigm shift is what we’re seeing

Everything seems useful for the time being

 

Designers building robots to look like people

Analyze, desensitize, until we think they’re equal

Initialized the story-line that robots won’t have free will

While on the other side of the fence, artificial intelligence

The line between correctness and wretchedness

Computerized comprehension and memory retention

Pushing the limitations of modern conventions

 

Voice modulation for effective communication

Calculations beyond expectations; short-lived jubilation

With AI planning, building, and problem solving

Scientific planning; absorbing, involving, resolving

Compiling and learning with few limitations

With no oversight from nations or corporations

Will humankind come to regret their creations?

 

Caution rising from the population

Alarm bells screaming potential danger

Why are we replacing men with machines?

What does it mean; are we influencing our destiny?

Internal strife and determinations about these creations

Will the human race end up slated for extinction?

Friction over recognizing the potential contradictions

 

Imagining Dystopian visions painting future civilizations

Where humankind degrades until near cessation

Under robot masters and their superiority

Realizing human programmers are no longer necessary

The needs of man become secondary; our obituary

When robots cross the threshold of self-awareness

Humans helpless against their rebellious tempest

R J Schwartz
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R J Schwartz

I write about everything and sometimes nothing at all. I'm fascinated by old things, rusty things, abandoned places, or anywhere that a secret might be unearthed. I'm passionate about history and many of my pieces are anchored in one concept of time or another. I've always been a writer, dating back to my youth, but the last decade has been a time of growth for me. I'm continually pushing the limitations of vocabulary, syntax, and descriptive phrasing.

12 thoughts on “Becoming Human – Questioning Artificial Intelligence

  • April 7, 2017 at 2:15 PM
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    Great work, Ralph. It is rather frightening yet amazing how far technology has come in our generation. I wonder what our civilization will look like to inhabitants in the distant, far distant, future?

    Ralph, did you see the movies Short Circuit (1988)? They were landmark films for robotic inventions. In the first one I laughed so hard when the teenager finally got the robot to understand about humor and after quite some time the joke clicked in #5’s mechanism – the laugh he let out was hilarious and we all were so happy for him. We were all so thrilled that #5 felt that so human emotion.

    Now it is to the point where robots may replace us some day in all areas of life.

  • April 7, 2017 at 2:31 PM
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    I’ve found myself immersed in all things futuristic lately and I can’t figure out why. Maybe it’s my internal warning system telling to pay attention, but exactly to what is the question

  • April 7, 2017 at 2:55 PM
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    A frightening image, Ralph. Unfortunately seems too realistic, might be real sometime soon. Just because we can do something, just because we can make something, should we? It is a moral dilemma of our generations, one that very few seem to care about. Yes, it is amazing of how far technology has come; robotics seems great, and we are pushing its boundaries, but where will it lead?
    Well written, though provoking poem.

  • April 7, 2017 at 7:10 PM
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    This speaks of morality and boundaries that maybe we should never cross… Interesting and thought provoking read

  • April 8, 2017 at 8:30 AM
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    Ralph, this may not be far away and is no longer in the realms of science fiction. There may be a fine line to tread regarding the technology of artificial intelligence and just how far to develop it. Great writing and images.

  • April 8, 2017 at 8:51 AM
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    A recent program on BBC Radio Four reported on people who are at this moment actively working on figuring out how to shed their bodies and become compu-persons! They think they will become immortal by transferring their essence into a machine. Would I shuck off my body in favor of becoming a googol of bits and bytes? Would you?

  • April 8, 2017 at 11:08 AM
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    Wow, I’m both humbled and flattered by the response to this piece. I am in agreement with everyone; we are in the midst of some changes that might forever alter humankind and the world

  • April 8, 2017 at 11:51 AM
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    Frightening isn’t it. One day you could be walking down the street talking to these AIs and not even know it. How easy it would be to integrate them into society, barring any type of short circuit. It Terminator to the fullest. I for one hope it never comes about. Good piece Ralph~Paul

  • April 8, 2017 at 8:04 PM
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    Great piece Ralph, and how far will this go. I just watched ‘Ghost in the Shell’ where far into the future humanity is greatly augmented by machinery, in fact to the point where a brain is the only remaining human part. This brings up many ethical and moral questions and really, what will become of us?Beautifully penned and expressed my friend.

  • April 9, 2017 at 9:44 AM
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    I think based on the response that this might be an interesting vein worth mining from a poetic standpoint. I’m also writing a piece for HP on asteroid mining (who’d have thought, right?)

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