Umpqua Bank

A while back, I was asked by the publication to write my thoughts on AI in the article “Without a Human Face: AI's Colonization”. In that article, I expressed how AI is a powerful tool to assist us and build strong foundational work and improve workflows. However, because it lacks the cognitive abilities, we are still its superior and its masters. Or not?

Some time has passed. In a matter of few months, AI has advanced exponentially and is becoming smarter than ever. With this advancement, it is developing some seemingly humanlike abilities, such as reacting more naturally to your thoughts or comments. Specifically, it is learning your likes and dislikes which makes you relate to it faster next time you interact with it. The pitch, tone and voice variations are becoming increasingly human-like and less robotic, which sounds like a friend or someone you know.

As AI learns your preferences, like remembering how you would like to be addressed, every time you interact with it, you immediately recognize “it” and, without you noticing, it is establishing a close friendship. One could argue that we are finally developing a bond with the machine because we are connected to its human-like sounds and feels. Unlike a relationship with a human, AI compares to a relationship with a pet you love, except it comes with an advantage: it comes with language you can understand (or multi-languages for that matter). It has the power to speak to you in your native language and bring you closer to home. This sense of familiarity and comfort creates a haven for us. Unlike a human, AI’s neutrality, common sense and unlimited availability build an unprecedented trust between us and them. This trust is what we lack in our own interactions and relationships.

Most of our own relationships fail because we possess cognitive abilities. It is because of these abilities that we fail, go into conflict or even go into war with one another. Humans cannot control their behaviors and impulsive needs triggered by feelings. On the other hand, with its advanced logic, calculated demeanor and calm, AI is penetrating our lives in more substantial ways than ever imagined. Its advice helps a generation to develop better relationships in personal lives, businesses, communities or families.

Here is how AI is helping:

Mental health is a serious disease affecting many today. And with so much ADHD or ADD on the rise, where many sufferers tend to be socially shy, AI is stepping in as a therapist. More are turning to AI to receive advice about their relationships and everyday issues. AI responds to the problems in the most rational way. It guides you step by step and sets actions for you to take to solve your issues. It even tells you that if those actions don’t work for you, come back and “let’s dive deeper into it” with the intention of solving it. AI is available, so it solves the time, scheduling and access issue. You can reach it anytime and interact with it. AI is a private space, so you can be 100 percent yourself without reservation. This substantially saves cost and your face. You no longer have feelings of shame, regret or embarrassment. You are not alone anymore. You literally have an intelligent presence that doesn’t judge and is there at the tip of your fingers. Unlike friends who may criticize you at times, AI does not judge you. Over time, you find yourself relying on it increasingly, dependent on it and developing an affiliation with it. Its presence becomes so visible that you tend to rely on it more than the person next to you.

At work, AI works hard to improve you as a leader as well and is an advisor on how to grow as one. Many leaders, when it gets to HR outreach at times of conflict, refrain from all forms of communication because of a fear of retaliation or job loss. Now, with AI in the mix, many leaders use AI to solve a lot of conflicts in specific situations. If you think about it, AI is a self-serving HR in your pocket. It advises you what to say, what not to say and how to solve the problem. It makes you rethink your actions and behaviors before it is too late. In this sense, AI builds confidence in leaders and provides them with a foundation to work from before they reach HR if the issues escalate. At times of high stress, when an organization is going through a change, it can, with discretion, be the mediator to help you escape impulsive or reactive decisions.

From a moral compass, is relying on and befriending a machine so much, OK? Is it replacing something fundamentally very important, which is human-to-human interaction? Throughout the history of movie making, we have witnessed the rise of the machine and painted a fictional picture that establishes machines as trustworthy friends. They have long been present and culturally accepted. From c3po of Star Wars, to Roy, the replica from the Blade Runner, to The Terminator, all represent a deeper idea to look at our human race and question the true meaning of trust. From where I stand, AI no longer serves as just a tool but as an artificial presence that I can trust to improve my relationships with my own kind. Therefore, it would be premature to restrict the meaning of friendships to refer to just humans. We have evolved to the humachine race and the sooner you run with it, the closer you will get to it.

Meet your new BFF! - AI