Artificial intelligence vs Human intelligence: a comparative analysis

Introduction

We live in a period when the term “Artificial intelligence” is commonplace and this life is amazing! A vast majority of people have access to advanced technology and can use them for day-to-day things. From science fiction to everyday life, AI has made significant strides recently.

These days AI is all around us in the form of self-driving cars, smart virtual assistants, chatbots, surgical robots, and many more. 

Artificial intelligence was designed to create intelligent systems that are capable of performing human-like tasks, so we all are curious whether it can function on its own.

In this article, we will cover the basics of human and artificial intelligence, their distinctive features along with pros and cons, and figure out if AI has the power to completely replace human intelligence.  

What is Artificial Intelligence

We’re sure you possess at least some approximate notion of what artificial intelligence is. It seems like something smart yet very complex. You can find dozens of different definitions but it may be difficult to get the hang of it. 

Let us explain the concept of artificial intelligence in simple terms. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) involves building smart machines capable of completing a number of tasks that usually require human intelligence and cognition. These machines can quickly self-learn, self-analyze, and also self-correct. Artificial Intelligence is based on human insights so machines can tackle a wide range of tasks – from the simplest to the most complicated. 

AI covers an extensive range of areas including robotics, control systems, face recognition, scheduling, data mining, computer vision, scheduling, and many others. 

The technology keeps proving its efficiency in multiple fields like medicine, education, retail, etc. 

Here are a few interesting facts and figures about AI:

• According to a TechJury article, 35% of companies are using AI and 42% of companies are planning AI implementation in the future.
• By 2025, 95% of customer interactions will be powered by AI (Servion Global Solutions).
• The use of robotics and artificial intelligence across numerous industries drives the growth of the hardware market.
• AI can increase business productivity by 40%.
• 77% of the devices we use now feature some form of AI.

Benefits and Drawbacks

AI has a long list of advantages – quite serious ones. That is why it’s widely adopted and its impact is continuously expanding. However, as any other emerging technology, it still lacks certain improvements. Should you start leveraging the power of artificial intelligence, be ready to accept challenges and tackle issues. 

But don’t push the panic button – all problems are solvable as long as you’re aware of them. We make the process a bit easier and stressless for you. 

Below, we’ve outlined the most critical benefits and drawbacks of AI so you know what’s waiting for you.

Advantages:

• Automation and efficiency. AI can automate tedious and repetitive tasks thus considerably increasing efficiency and productivity. Machines can work around the clock without any breaks or rest, allowing human workers to focus on more complex and creative tasks. This is particularly valuable for customer support, chatbots, and other services that require constant availability. Furthermore, AI can take over tasks that are too dangerous or difficult for humans.
• Data analysis and pattern recognition. AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data much faster than any human employee and identify patterns, trends, and insights that humans may overlook. 
• Effective decision-making. Through processing large volumes of data, AI can make better data-driven decisions – often much faster and with higher accuracy than humans, in case there are well-defined rules and patterns.
• Improved precision and accuracy. AI systems ensure excellent precision and accuracy, and therefore fewer errors and improved outcomes. For example, AI-powered medical diagnosis systems help doctors detect diseases at early stages, potentially leading to more effective treatment outcomes.

Drawbacks:

• Lack of human-like understanding. Despite mind-blowing advancements, AI systems still lack true human-like understanding, creativity, and common sense reasoning. Sometimes machines happen to struggle with ambiguous or unstructured data or provide inaccurate responses in certain situations.
• Ethical challenges. There are rising ethical concerns associated with AI. These are mostly related to privacy, bias, and transparency of intelligent systems. It’s very topical as many AI systems handle personal data so privacy and proper regulation must be ensured. Biased algorithms are another issue. Amplifying existing biases present in the data the algorithms are trained on leads to unfair outcomes.
• Insufficient programming. AI is limited by its programming and may have difficulties when adapting to new or unexpected situations.
• Data quality. AI heavily relies on quality data for training and decision-making. Using biased, incomplete, or unrepresentative data can bring about undesirable consequences. Making sure AI systems are trained relying on high-quality, diverse, and unbiased data is crucial for receiving accurate results.
• Security risks. AI systems are relatively new so there’re still some issues to solve. But security concerns must be of the highest priority. These systems can be vulnerable to cyberattacks and malicious use. Additionally, the use of AI in autonomous systems like drones or self-driving cars raises safety concerns.
• Job displacement. On the one hand, people worldwide are stunned by the capabilities of AI. On the other hand, they have the fear of losing their jobs. How are these connected? It’s simple – a growing number of employees are getting anxious about AI replacing them in the near future. The automation capabilities of AI are anticipated to cause job displacement and partial unemployment, particularly in industries where routine and repetitive tasks can be easily automated. A certain disruption in the job market and the need for upskilling and retraining are expected. Nevertheless, there is a positive side too – new job opportunities related to the development and management of AI systems may be created as well. 

Consider that the impact either positive or negative features mentioned above vary according to the specific AI application, context, and the way of implementation.

The concept of Human Intelligence

Human intelligence, as compared to artificial intelligence, is rather easy to understand but hard to explain in words. Basically, it’s all about each individual’s unique set of genetics, upbringing, and vulnerability to various situations and environments. Human intelligence encompasses the abilities to think, gain from expressions, comprehend complex ideas, solve issues, adapt to new conditions, recognize patterns, make inferences and decisions, retain information, learn from experience, and utilize knowledge to change and interact with the environment and other people. And there’s much to add because human capabilities seem countless. 

Human intelligence is a rich and complex concept that includes the following dimensions:

• Reasoning, logical thinking, analyzing information, and drawing conclusions based on evidence and facts. 
• Creative thinking that includes the ability to generate ideas, come up with new solutions, make connections between concepts, and so on.
• The ability to acquire knowledge, retain information, and retrieve it when needed. 
• Language skills that enable grasping, understanding, and communicating ideas, emotions, and concepts. 
• Perceiving, understanding, and managing human emotions as well as recognizing and empathizing with the emotions of others. This is what we call emotional intelligence.
• The ability to interpret others’ intentions, motivations, and emotions, enabling effective social interactions and cooperation.
• Adaptability and problem-solving through applying previously gained knowledge in different contexts. Humans also can analyze challenges, create effective strategies, and choose the best approaches based on changing circumstances.

Pros & Cons

AI is much faster and more efficient in certain tasks if compared to human intelligence. But still, HI possesses some features that cannot be replaced by machines anyhow in the near future. Or maybe never? 

There are certain areas in which AI is definitely losing to human intelligence. It’s high time we explored the key pros and cons of human intelligence, isn’t it?

Pros:

• Creativity, intuition, imagination, and emotional intelligence that AI lacks. Humans can think out-of-the-box and view situations from different angles. 
• The ability to quickly adapt to unexpected and sometimes even extreme situations. We can learn from experience, acquire new skills, and adjust our behavior based on current conditions. 
• Ethical and moral decision-making. Human intelligence allows for analyzing complex situations, critical thinking, and generating creative solutions. With this ability, we can address various challenges and make great advancements.
• Communication skills. But machines are able to communicate too. Well yes, but it is not comparable to the human ability to express complex ideas, share knowledge, and collaborate effectively.

Cons:

• Limited mental and physical capabilities. Our ability to process information, retain knowledge, and perform complex computations is finite, therefore we can make mistakes and have difficulties in handling complex tasks.
• Human intelligence is prone to cognitive biases that can result in flawed decision-making. These biases come from the limited information we have, preconceived notions, or certain emotional factors and lead to inaccurate judgments.
• Human intelligence cannot operate 24/7 similar to AI. We need to rest periodically and this slows down processes. 

The key differences

Now, as we’ve figured out what artificial and human intelligence are, their peculiarities, advantages, and disadvantages, we’re ready to move on to the main part – a comprehensive comparison. 

We’ve conducted thorough research and studied various aspects to provide you with a complete analysis. 

Check it out right now!

• Origin and Nature. Human intelligence involves adapting with the help of a combination of diverse cognitive processes. Artificial intelligence means designing machines to mimic human behavior. While human beings use their brain and memory, AI machines depend on data. Unlike humans, AI also requires less time to complete even the most complex tasks. 
• State. Human intelligence is analogous while machines are digital.
• Learning capabilities. In simple terms, human intelligence is based on previous experiences. Machines are the opposite – they cannot think in an abstract manner, and draw conclusions therefore they only learn from data and through continuous training, but it is impossible for them to achieve the human-specific thinking process.
• Decision-making. When it comes to making decisions, AI is completely objective, while human judgments can be subjective to a certain extent. 
• Processing. AI relies on ​​algorithms and mathematical models whereas HI operates cognitive processes and biological structures.
• Perfection. As AI’s capabilities are based on regularly updated guidelines, it produces precise and accurate results. Humans, on the other hand, tend to make mistakes, overlook something, misinterpret, etc. 
• Adjustment. Humans are able to quickly react to changing conditions and adjust to them. For AI, it takes much longer to adapt to unusual surroundings. 
• Multitasking. Juggling a variety of jobs simultaneously is a human-like ability. AI has certain limits here. Machines can perform fewer tasks at the same time. 
• Social capabilities. Humans are social creatures who are good at social interaction due to their self-awareness and sensitivity to others’ feelings and emotions. AI is not capable of picking up on associated social and enthusiastic cues yet.
• Energy consumption. AI-powered machines normally use 2 watts of energy whereas human brains need about 25 watts. 
• Creativity and imagination. Machines are not as creative or innovative as human beings. After all, robots cannot think in the same way that people can.
• Physical limitations. Machines can operate 24/7 while humans need rest from time to time.
• Ethics. Unlike human beings, AI has no moral code or conscience.

What is better?

Now when you’re loaded with all this information, you must be curious about what is better – artificial intelligence or human intelligence? Is our fear of being replaced by AI justified? We’ve got all the answers you are looking for. 

If you’ve been waiting for us to conclude with one option being better and the other – worse, we should disappoint you. In fact, it depends on specific conditions and the scope of the application. AI as well as HI has its pros and cons. There are areas where the human brain is way more effective and areas where machines perform better.

You think that the capabilities of AI are countless? Well, they are expanding increasingly. But despite all the advancements, there are tasks that AI cannot do better than a human. Some tasks require intuition, a good deal of creativity, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and complex problem-solving that machines are not able to provide.  

Can AI replace human intelligence?

Is there a probable chance of AI-powered machines replacing humans completely? No, there isn’t, at least for now. Machines are good at repetitive, data-driven tasks. AI enhances numerous processes, automates a myriad of tasks and jobs, assists humans, and helps them achieve objectives easier and quicker but it cannot take over all our tasks. Finally, all the top-notch technologies we use now, including AI in its variety of forms, are developed by humans and therefore dependent on human intellect.

Conclusion

Taking all the mentioned above facts into account, we should not consider AI an enemy but rather an advanced assistant. The future is in the effective and highly beneficial collaboration of artificial and human intelligence. Machines are meant to augment human capabilities letting us focus on processes that require human expertise and experience. 

The mystery behind the human thought process hasn’t been revealed so far so it is unlikely that we’ll see machines that can “think” like humans anytime soon. 

So no matter how great all the technological advancements are, they would never be possible without human intelligence.