It’s, of course, a question that’s on many of our minds these days, given how rapidly artificial intelligence is advancing: will AI ever become smarter than humans? We’re all familiar with movies like *I, Robot*, in which AI turns against humanity and takes over everything. But could this ever really happen, or is it nothing more than science fiction? According to researchers at Radboud University, the latter is the case!
The hype surrounding artificial intelligence
Many tech companies currently claim that artificial intelligence will eventually surpass the human brain and be capable of doing everything we cannot. Ask Google, OpenAI, or any other tech company deeply involved in AI, and they will tell you that it is inevitable that this technology will one day be smarter than we are. Many people have even expressed concerns about the development of this technology and what it could be used for, including Elon Musk. As a result, most people are convinced that technology will one day become smarter than humans.
AI will never be smarter than humans
According to scientists at Radboud University, that is certainly not the case. They suspect that the current hype surrounding AI is leading to misunderstandings about what is and isn’t possible with this new technology. Their new publication, titled “Reclaiming AI as a Theoretical Tool for Cognitive Science,” explains why claims about artificial intelligence are exaggerated. Their findings show that there will never be enough computing power to create “artificial general intelligence” that delivers the same cognitive performance as the human brain. In addition, the article explains why pursuing this goal is a futile endeavor and a waste of energy resources and raw materials. After all, some of these are already scarce at the moment!
Collaboration among various universities
The publication is a collaboration between several universities, including Radboud University, Aarhus University, the University of Amsterdam, the University of Bristol, and Memorial University of Newfoundland. All researchers who contributed to the publication are experts in the fields of cognitive science, neuroscience, computer science, and philosophy. People often fail to realize that cognitive science is crucial for understanding claims about the capabilities of AI. People tend to overestimate what computers can do and underestimate what our own brains are capable of. According to the researchers, it is important for the general public to gain more knowledge about AI. Currently, everyone believes the claims made by major tech companies, but that is not a good thing. The goal of the universities is to build a better understanding of AI systems so that people can continue to view the tech industry with a critical eye.