Computers and the Human Spirit

By Sheena Goel

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As the computers and/or machines are becoming more and more artificial intelligent, the

gap between human and computers is closing rapidly. However, can smart machines

(interchangeably computers) come close to human spirit as well?

To answer this, we will have to first understand what is difference between computers

and human spirit.

Being alive is the core of human spirit, computers – however intelligent can not be

called as alive. Yes, they have intelligence, but that is “instructed” intelligence, fed to

them by the way of coding. However, the human intelligence is spontaneous and

adaptive. People learn from experiences and it is not a mechanical learning, as every

experience gets added with emotions which influence intelligence levels of human

beings. Whereas, as far as the computers are concerned as they don’t experience

emotions, their intelligence is governed by the intelligence and emotions of the people

writing the logic for them, to an extent that it seeps into the decision making capabilities

of the machines.

Machines can compute alright, however they don’t understand why they are doing what

they are doing, in-fact they don’t even question what they are doing?

It is the emotions, understanding, being alive what makes up for a human spirit.

Now that we understand what human spirit is and how it is different from the computer

intelligence. And also knowing the fact that computer are inching this gap very fast with

that of human beings by the virtue of Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning, can

we also say confidently that they will come close to Human spirit some day?

As of now, it is impossible to say, with the technology changing so fast with a speed of

nuclear fission reaction, maybe it will be possible for the machines in future to bridge

this gap, though it remains a distant thought now to the extent of being a fiction.

Scientists can foresee that some of the tasks will be performed by the machines 1000

times better than the human beings but other tasks pertaining to psychology, spiritual,

emotional could be performed by only the human beings.

So does that mean that machines cannot help in human beings mental well being?

On the contrary, on many occaissions machine interactions have proven to be more

therapeutic as compared to getting emotional help from the human being for a variety of

reasons, for being non-judgemental, for having immense patience and focus diversion

to name a few.

Many people suffering from low self esteem find solace in coding or some sort of

software development activity as they can channelize their creativity via coding.

Many people who think they are not good looking, neither great in any art forms nor in

other sciences, computers give them a platform to showcase their expertise in coding

which makes them feel desirable by the society at large due to their exceptional

intelligence in the area of computer programming or hacking.

For the patients suffering from some form of physical or mental illness, use of

computers can be equally theraputic as they can emotionally lean on these devices

without being judged, admonished or despised for their inabilities without getting

stressed out at the fact that someone is witness to the ugly details of their illness.

I believe, in the future power of computers and human spirit should be used in

combination to take advantage of what each of them can do best to achieve a utopian

society that everyone always wished they want to live in.

References:

1. The Second Self Computers and the Human Spirit 20th ed - Turkle Sherry