Following the Industrial Revolution and the Digital Revolution, the revolution of artificial intelligence has emerged—arguably the greatest innovation of all time and the fastest-advancing technology in human history.
Fernández concluded his address by advocating for multisectoral collaboration in the use of Artificial Intelligence.
Fernández during a conference on Artificial Intelligence. External source
Artificial intelligence is everywhere. It has become omnipresent. It is present in education, healthcare, business, transportation, security, the environment, industry, agriculture, and even in music, cinema, and the visual arts.
But it wasn’t always this way. Artificial intelligence is not a new phenomenon that appeared unnoticed. On the contrary, its roots go back nearly a century. Its evolution has been tortuous, with moments of rapid growth and others of total stagnation.
Today, its presence is most notably seen through chatbots, a form of generative artificial intelligence capable of producing text, images, and sound.
It began with voice recognition tools like Siri and Alexa, and has continued with the creation of platforms by major tech companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, and Meta—tools such as ChatGPT-4, Copilot, Gemini, and Meta AI.
These technological creations are having a major impact across various fields of human activity. Their evolution is exponential, and there have even been calls to limit their continued growth due to fears of the disruptive effects they may have on human coexistence.
Beyond generative artificial intelligence, the coming years are expected to see the development of a new technological modality: predictive artificial intelligence. This type will rely on data science and statistics to identify patterns and trends, with the aim of supporting decision-making based on AI-driven predictions.
The Great Competition
Nearly 30 years ago, in 1996, a computer developed by IBM—Deep Blue—defeated Russian world chess champion Garry Kasparov. This event not only caused great surprise but also stirred significant global commotion.
It was then that the question became more evident: could machines someday surpass human capacity and intelligence? With the current advancements in artificial intelligence, this question has resurfaced with greater intensity.
There are multiple views on human intelligence. For some, intelligence is singular and can be measured through IQ. For others, there are multiple types of intelligence. This is the view of Howard Gardner, researcher and essayist at Harvard University and author of the theory of multiple intelligences.
Human intelligence is the result of biological processes occurring in the brain, which has evolved over millions of years. This has allowed humans to rise above other animal species and dominate their physical environment.
Among its attributes are the capacity to use language, to learn, comprehend, reason logically, think abstractly, and develop awareness, intuition, critical thinking, and imagination.
Artificial intelligence, meanwhile, is created by humans through computer programs and algorithms. It performs specific tasks and operates based on mathematical and statistical patterns. It processes vast amounts of data, performs rapid calculations, translates, and recognizes images. It lacks consciousness, sensitivity, and emotions.
Currently, artificial intelligence outperforms humans in tasks such as precision in repetitive tasks, speed and data processing, image and voice recognition, language translation, and the creation of new technological tools.
The competition between artificial intelligence and humans intensifies when considering the notion of artificial superintelligence, proposed by authors like Nick Bostrom (Superintelligence).
However, for now, this remains only a hypothesis—that AI might someday surpass humans in areas such as complex problem-solving, creativity, and cognitive superpowers.
Competition or Collaboration?
In the realm of AI vs. human intelligence, a notable example emerged in 1968 with the release of a science fiction film now considered one of the greatest in history: 2001: A Space Odyssey, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick, one of the most prominent and innovative filmmakers of the 20th century.
In the plot, astronauts and scientists travel to Jupiter aboard the spacecraft Discovery One to investigate an extraterrestrial monolith. Accompanying them is the supercomputer HAL 9000.
Most of the spacecraft’s systems are operated by HAL, which is capable of holding conversations, recognizing emotions, developing awareness, and acting like a human being.
The conflict between AI and human intelligence becomes central when a dispute arises between HAL and the human crew over an error that threatens the success of the mission.
As a result of the conflict, HAL shuts down the astronauts’ life support systems, causing their deaths, and refuses to open the ship’s door to Dave Bowman, the only conscious crew member left.
In 2001: A Space Odyssey, the question arises: is there a superiority of artificial superintelligence over human intelligence? And could such presumed superiority lead, in the future, to a machine rebellion that threatens human survival?
Of course, these questions remain in the realm of speculation and science fiction. In the real world, the hope is quite the opposite—that instead of rivalry, collaboration will prevail between artificial intelligence and human beings; that interaction will occur in which artificial intelligence, as an innovative technology, is always at the service of humanity’s progress.
