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Comment by smattiso | Hacker News Reader

Are we losing something as humans by automating so much? I mean I'm all for technical progress but at some point our computers will have killed so much of what makes us humans.

Chess, go, driving, flying, math, written language, music... when does it stop?

The standard answer is that we will automate all the dull parts of living and allow everybody to work in some sort of higher order capacity. That sounds great and all, but what happens when our systems learn how to make music as well as we can ourselves?

At some point we will simply become consumers of our machines and while that's a comfortable existence, certainly we are losing something as a species with all of this automation.

Maybe I'm old.

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I think the answer is quite simple, computers don't "kill" anything by themselves, for any new technological invention like AI you have a choice about whether you like it or not. What I'm saying with that is, that given the negative sentiment so many people have towards AI, I find it very unlikely that most of us will suddenly stop doing things just because some AI can do it better (look at chess).

If AI's make music as well, why would I care? I still listen to the music composed by Bach and other ancient composers, more than 300 years after they lived, and their music is still being performed today.

I think the availability of AI's will only make a difference where their effects on humanity are beneficial (that is, tasks we don't like doing, for the most part).

Sure I'm all for automating things we don't like doing, but everytime we outsource some piece of ourselves to technology we lose something in the process.

We invented farming and lost our communal hunter gathering cultures. We invented mass production and supply-chains for our food and lost our farming culture (for the most part). This isn't necessarily good or bad, but we are definitely losing something every time we invent something to make our lives easier. At some point there will be a tipping point of diminishing returns.

Personally I believe "the singularity" would be the worst possible thing to ever happen to humans. Sure we can visit distant parts of the universe and live forever but only as passengers to some AI. Would you rather be a dog in today's world or a human 1000 years ago?

Progress is unrelenting though and I certainly enjoy not having to wash my clothes by hand.

Go was never humans' game to begin with. It's a game intrinsic to all forms of space-based warfare. The heatdeath of the universe and geometry of black holes eventually segmenting space, is itself is a game of Go.

Consuming is always going to be less sexy than creating.

Who would be more impressive, someone that can play a song on a guitar or or someone that can play a song over speakers? The former implies dedication and practice. The act of creation is always going to have a place in society, and people who think otherwise don't understand culture. The desire to make unique and interesting things or impress people will always leave room for creation or spending time to learn something. AI will just be a tool.

As for games like chess and go: Most people are interested in other people and will find much more pleasure in playing the game with others.

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