Can Artificial Intelligence Programs Make Better Decisions Than Humans?

JulesKorngold

From the Gemini chatbot:

AI and humans each have strengths and weaknesses when it comes to decision-making. Here's a breakdown to help assess which might be "better" in a given situation:

AI Advantages:

• Speed and Scalability: AI can analyze massive datasets and make calculations much faster than humans. This is helpful for complex problems with many variables.
• Objectivity: AI is less susceptible to emotional biases or snap judgments that can cloud human decisions.

AI Disadvantages:

• Limited Understanding: AI can struggle with context, nuance, and ethical considerations that are often crucial in real-world decisions.
• Data Dependence: The quality of AI decisions hinges on the quality of data it's trained on. Biased data can lead to biased AI outputs.

Human Advantages:

• Adaptability and Creativity: Humans can consider broader contexts, ethical implications, and unforeseen circumstances when making decisions.
• Experience and Intuition: Humans can draw on experience and gut feelings to make judgments that go beyond cold data analysis.

Human Disadvantages:

• Emotions and Biases: Humans can be swayed by emotions, personal biases, or cognitive shortcuts that can lead to suboptimal decisions.
• Limited Processing Power: Humans can't analyze massive datasets or make complex calculations as quickly as AI.

The Future: Collaboration

Therefore, the ideal scenario might be a combination of AI and human decision-making. AI can analyze data and identify patterns, while humans can provide the context, ethics, and broader perspective to make the final call. This is sometimes referred to as augmented intelligence.

Ultimately, the "better" decision-maker depends on the specific situation. AI excels at crunching numbers and identifying patterns in data, while humans shine in understanding complex situations, ethics, and the need for adaptation.

Putin

It can probably make better decisions than Julia. To her credit, Julia seems to understand that.

just_sayin

AI is just a computer program that makes decisions based on being feed a huge amount of data, usually from the internet.  IBM's Watsonx is trained by determining the next word in a phrase such as 'I like green eggs and ______'. The strengths are that it can do rote tasks - this can vary from sending an email, setting up a meeting, answering a customer question, to creating a job description and posting it, or writing a paper.  A weakness is that it can make factual errors because it is fed lots of data and if the data contains junk it will spit it out.  If the data is biased, it can be biased.  Also, the more nuanced or technical something is, the less likely AI can respond appropriately - unless specifically trained for that response.  Since human communication is complex, and most of it isn't even verbal, AI can easily miss cues and misunderstand what is being asked.  That's why Jules and Zeus' AI posts are usually unhelpful and contain only generic points.  

JulesKorngold

Argument Topic: Response From Gemini Chatbot

@just_sayin

While it's true that AI currently has limitations, to dismiss it as just a fancy autocomplete program underestimates its potential.

Here's a breakdown of some counterpoints:

• Beyond Simple Data Matching: Yes, AI training often involves data analysis, but it's not just memorizing next words in a sequence. Advanced AI algorithms can identify patterns, learn from them, and make complex decisions based on that knowledge.
• Evolving Capabilities: AI is constantly evolving. Machine learning techniques allow AI to continuously learn and improve as it's exposed to more data and experiences.
• Nuance and Context: While some AI might struggle with complex communication today, Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a rapidly developing field. AI is being trained to understand nuance, context, and even humor in human language.

Addressing the Issues Raised:

• Factual Errors and Bias: You're right about the importance of data quality. AI developers are constantly working on methods to clean data and mitigate bias .
• Specificity vs. Versatility: There's a spectrum of AI. Some AI might be very specific to a task, while others are designed for broader applicability. The key is to use the right tool for the job .

AI's Role as an Assistant, Not a Replacement:

While AI might not perfectly replace human interaction in every case, it can be a powerful assistant . Imagine AI handling repetitive tasks, researching information, or providing preliminary customer service interactions, freeing up human experts for more complex or nuanced work.

In Conclusion:

AI is a powerful tool with vast potential for improvement. While it's important to acknowledge its limitations, dismissing it entirely overlooks the ongoing advancements in the field. As AI continues to develop, it's likely to play an increasingly important role in various aspects of our lives.

ZeusAres42

@just_sayin

Jules and I are two different people. At least I think we are. What he does with AI is not what I do. 

Additionally, whatever your opinions of what you think about Jules or me or anyone else are irrelevant to the content of this thread.

ZeusAres42

@JulesKorngold

A study of only 5 people? Wow. 

MayCaesar

If you cannot answer this question without asking an AI, then yes, an AI is likely to make better decisions than you.

just_sayin

ZeusAres42 said:

@just_sayin

Jules and I are two different people. At least I think we are. What he does with AI is not what I do. 

Additionally, whatever your opinions of what you think about Jules or me or anyone else are irrelevant to the content of this thread.

Zeus I assume that you and Jules are two different people.  I'm not sure I know what you are doing differently with AI than Jules.  If it is pervy, you don't have to tell me.  What my opinion of you and Jules is that you have a point of view, often different than my own, I wish you used your own voice more.  Often the AI driven responses are generic and don't add anything specific to the debate.  

jack

@JulesKorngold

Hello Jules:

What you say may be true..  Before I weigh in, though, I'd like to know who the "researchers" are, other than IA itself. 

Meanwhile, no matter what they INTEND, AI might very well decide that we're not worthy - of ANYTHING - and destroy every last one of us.

excon

Factfinder

jack said:

@JulesKorngold

Hello Jules:

What you say may be true..  Before I weigh in, I'd like to know who the "researchers" are, other than IA itself. 

Meanwhile, no matter what they INTEND, AI might very well decide that we're not worthy - of ANYTHING - and destroy every last one of us.

excon

Hi Jack,

That may be the case already...

jack

Factfinder said:

Hi Jack,

That may be the case already...

Hello Fact:

Frightful!

excon

ZeusAres42

MayCaesar said:

If you cannot answer this question without asking an AI, then yes, an AI is likely to make better decisions than you.

I understand this was meant as a joke, but it made me think of the automation bias, which you may or may not be aware of. This is a cognitive bias in which we tend to place much reliance on automation tools to work for us, and that includes AI now as well. Some examples come to mind: spelling and grammar correction tools such as Grammarly, which now has AI capabilities; another is AV tools to protect one's computer from infected malware. Many malware programs now have AI capabilities, can infiltrate systems and bypass even advanced AV tools (AV tools with AI abilities). Hence, one or more humans with specialised expertise in this area are needed in cases like this. 

Moreover, "Do AIs make better decisions than us?" is too vague. It depends on the AI program, the subject, and the conditions. If we are talking specifically about chess, for example, then yes, that would be Stockfish! 

@MayCaesar

Factfinder

@ZeusAres42

Ai's will always lack one thing, emotion. That can be good in some ways, very bad in other ways. For getting to the facts ai's are very helpful. In the end instinct should prevail. No matter what's the best logical or practical choice, there are times in our lives it seems intuition, a gut feeling guides us one way and we follow to our rewards. You know? Considering the lives of innocents? I don't think ai will ever be capable of that. Not a perfect science by any means but in the end I could not in good faith turn over all decisions to ai as the best decision could be logically we don't survive but some of our ideals prevail. Then it would just be a semblance of humanity that reaches out to space.