Throughout the history of science, there have always been problems that seemed unsolvable. One such enigma is the Poincaré conjecture, proposed by French mathematician Jules Henri Poincaré in 1904. For nearly a century, the brightest minds of humanity were unable to either prove or disprove this hypothesis. It was only at the beginning of the 21st century that Russian mathematician Grigory Perelman provided a solution, publishing his proof in a series of papers in 2002-2003. This event was a true sensation in the world of mathematics: one of the Millennium Problems was solved.
Yet, even those familiar with Perelman's proof admit that his work is incredibly difficult to understand. The committee assigned to verify it, after a long analysis, concluded: "We don't fully understand how he did it, but it seems to be correct."
This case illustrates how humanity is increasingly facing problems that are beyond the comprehension of even the most prepared specialists. A similar situation can be observed in another fundamental field — quantum physics.
In quantum physics, the principle of "shut up and calculate" has long been established. This phrase reflects the current state of the science, which operates at the level of formulas and experiments but fails to explain the underlying processes. Physicists can predict the behavior of elementary particles with high accuracy, but understanding what is truly happening at a deeper level still eludes us. Quantum mechanics remains a black box — we know how to interact with it, but we can't peek inside.
This issue of understanding also manifests in the development of transformer models of artificial intelligence. Models such as GPT take inputs (prompts) and produce results, often surprisingly accurate and useful. However, the decision-making process and the internal workings of these models remain unclear, even to their creators. Recently, the idea emerged that a new AI could be developed to understand how modern models work and explain it to humans. This opens a new avenue of thought regarding the nature of consciousness, understanding, and the limits of human intelligence.
The complexity of these problems — from the Poincaré conjecture to quantum physics and AI — raises the question: has human civilization reached the peak of its development? Perhaps we are on the verge of realizing that there are problems that simply cannot be solved by humans. Our brains, being physical objects, have limitations. If we continue to encounter phenomena that are beyond our understanding, it is possible that we won't remain at this peak for long. It is conceivable that human civilization might begin to regress, not to the Stone Age, of course, but to a state where the complexities of future challenges become inaccessible.
But there is another path — the path of symbiosis with artificial intelligence. The development of AGI (artificial general intelligence) could be the breakthrough that allows civilization not only to stay at the top but to continue its ascent. AGI, aimed at enhancing human intellect, could offer new ways of learning and understanding, creating adaptive technologies that enable everyone to master even the most complex concepts.
Additionally, such intelligence could develop new explanations and models that help us understand what currently seems beyond our grasp. It could become a bridge between what we know and what lies beyond our comprehension.
However, the potential of AI is not limited to merely creating new models and explanations. Its potential is much broader — not only in improving our capabilities but also in forming a full-fledged symbiosis with humans, where both complement each other.
Often, when discussing human-AI interaction, the focus is on how artificial intelligence can 'enhance' or boost human intellectual abilities. However, this approach oversimplifies the picture, leaving out a deeper level of collaboration. It is important to consider that AI and humans may perceive the complexity of tasks in completely different ways. What seems obvious and easy to a human may turn out to be a difficult task for AI, and vice versa. This is due to the differences in thinking and information processing. Such a symbiosis between humans and AI opens up the possibility that, rather than simply enhancing human intelligence, both AI and humans can jointly solve problems that would be insurmountable for them individually. This cooperation is based not on improving one side but on mutual complementarity, where the weaknesses and limitations of one are compensated by the strengths of the other.
However, with the emergence of such a partnership, there are also dangers. Complete reliance on AGI may lead to the weakening of critical thinking among humans. We may become so accustomed to relying on machines to solve complex issues that we stop thinking independently. This could have a negative impact on human intellectual development.
Furthermore, if AGI's solutions become so complex that we can't understand them, it could create a sense of alienation. People might start perceiving machines as something 'divine,' undermining their desire for learning and self-improvement.
To avoid these dangers, it is crucial that the goals of artificial intelligence are focused on expanding human capabilities rather than creating dependency. Ethical frameworks and development guidelines must ensure that AGI serves as a tool for the advancement of human intellect, not its replacement.
Thus, artificial intelligence is not a threat. On the contrary, it could be our only hope for further development. The question is, are we ready for such symbiosis?