There has been a lot of talk about AI in recent times as new developments continue to push the limits of what it can do, worrying some and getting some backlash from others. But as many have pointed out, despite the processing and predictive power of AI, it's not a perfect system. It cannot replace humans in one of the most critical aspects: creativity and innovation. And a new study proves just that, by pitting young children against the AI.
The children and the AI tools, specifically large language model (LLM) programs, were instructed to do some basic problem-solving tasks such as drawing a circle using one of three tools. The goal was to figure out which of the tools would be the best way to draw a circle. All of the human children were able to correctly choose the appropriate instrument, meanwhile, the AI only scored correctly 76% of the time.
Of course, there are limitations to the study, and it doesn't negate the fact that AI is very useful in performing many other tasks that are difficult, tedious, and time-consuming for humans to do. After all, humans built the machines in order to make our lives more convenient and efficient.
Perhaps what this study shows is that the threat of AI to upend human society is non-existent, if not merely insignificant. It's all about how people are using AI, and for what purpose, as many routine or menial jobs get relegated to algorithms and machines, thus displacing people. The challenge, then, is how we can keep up with the developments happening around us.
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