Whether we realize it or not, artificial intelligence has entered all our lives. From Google maps to the Uber app, voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, and face recognition to unlock our phones, A.I. is here to stay. But that's just the tip of the digital iceberg.
We are told that so-called "Super artificial intelligence (SAI) will exceed the best human-level intelligence in every field, including social skills, general wisdom, and scientific creativity," among others. | Even more alarming, artificial intelligence will one day become a billion times smarter than humans and it has been predicted that it will exceed human intelligence as soon as 2029. "The time is now to influence it with the right ethics to have humanity's best interests in mind."
No question about it, at no period in history has the risk of technology ruining our humanity been any greater.
Unsurprisingly, collective brains have gone into overdrive on this topic. Science is already making a lot of progress in bioengineering, synthetic molecules and exo-skeletons. These and other spectacular advances hold the promise of proactively repairing human bodies damaged by disease, accident or conflict.
Aside from this “self-repairing” future, humans can already do amazing things. We can fly thanks to planes. We can speed across the surface of our planet at will thanks to the motor vehicle. The knowledge to cope with just about any situation is instantly available to us via our smartphone. So in a way, we are already enhanced humans compared with the generations that came before us.
But, these devices can be used as options and require man-machine interfaces like joysticks, steering wheels and keypads. How do we do away with the interface and use machines to make the human intrinsically better?
That’s when we start talking about plugging the internet directly into the brain or sending impressions directly on to our retinas, without the need for cumbersome screens and keyboards.
Just imagine how, in a few years, such a connection could empower you in a business meeting or when you meet someone new that you desperately want to impress. You could adjust what you say and how you empathize with the other person based on social network profiles and other information collected in real time on the internet. Clearly the other person could be equipped with the same device. And, as repulsive as it may be, the outcome of the interaction could very well depend on who downloaded the latest and most efficient software upgrade.
So how can we make humans better without stealing humanity itself? It doesn't take long to agree that advances in medicine have saved lives or relieved pain and that is a good thing. However, performance-enhancing drugs, in the context of competitive sports, might not always be positive.
There is the clear and present danger of a short-term trade of better performance for long-term poor health, not to mention the destruction of the level playing field. But what if that performance-enhancing drug allowed a surgeon to carry out longer and more complex interventions with a higher success rate?
What if we were the executives of tomorrow’s drug regulator? How would we write the rules for what enhancements are authorized (and for what purpose) and which are forbidden? What criteria would we use? Agreed, the first rule would ensure that enhancing the performance of one person is not detrimental to the freedom of another. But then some enhancement might be appropriate for some individuals but detrimental for a community, a society or the entire human race.
While this point is just the tip of the ice burg and one of many to be considered with the artificial intelligence equation, who can be certain that helping the human race live longer is a positive given the finite resources available to sustain a burgeoning, aged population?
Good question! I'll leave it at that.
Over to my grandchildren and their children's children. God bless -- and help -- them! | 
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