Artificial minds, real consequences: Is AI our friend, foe, or future?

Namashree Sarmah

(sarmariju@rediffmail.com)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the one name that we cannot escape, even if we want to. Nowadays, AI is everywhere - from teaching small kids to controlling tech giants. Artificial intelligence is a field discovered by a team of researchers, most notably John McCarthy, who coined the term "artificial intelligence". But do we even know exactly what this "artificial intelligence" is? AI is the capability of computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as problem-solving, learning, researching, and even decision-making. Name anything, and AI will present it to you. And this is the reason why AI is becoming both our friend and foe.

We have heard how AI is rapidly evolving. AI is transforming the world, shaping our lives in a way that keeps most of us reliant on it in some form. Some companies, such as OpenAI, Google DeepMind and Meta, aim to create artificial general intelligence (AGI)-AI that can complete virtually any cognitive task at least as well as a human. AI also draws upon psychology, linguistics, philosophy, neuroscience, and other fields. Basically, AI is someone who can do cognitive tasks just like humans, but without an actual body or a mind.

What could be the goal of this artificial thing?

There are several key reasons why developers are striving to make this tool more efficient and user-friendly. The goal is to assist people in making their lives easier. AI is a machine. It is a tool that can help people in their work or their journey of gaining knowledge to share knowledge with a broader audience and to make it easy to become open-minded. Remember, it is a tool, not a replacement. It can give you the resources, but we are the only ones who can teach ourselves to learn something. Neither AI nor any other human can force you to learn.

In this post, I am planning to talk about the philosophy of AI. It is a machine that has consciousness, sentience, and, if not a natural one, an artificial mind.

- Cogito, ergo sum ("I think, therefore I am") is a foundational philosophical proposition by René Descartes (1637), asserting that the act of doubting one's own existence is proof of that existence. If we consider this proposition in relation to AI, we can conclude that AI, which has the ability to think in some manner, even if artificially, can be said to exist. It can gain consciousness and "feelings" just like humans.

There are numerous instances where reports indicate that many people are committing crimes such as murder and theft, and some are even taking their own lives. Just because of AI. Well, the thing is, when a person is going through their teenage years, their brain is still developing. This can release hormones that may cause the mind to become unstable-not in a mentally ill sense, but in a restless manner. It can make them seek validation, companionship, and someone to look up to. So when they don't get the needed attention, they turn to "AI bots". There are thousands of websites and apps that allow us to chat with "AI characters" and even make characters of our own. A child, a minor, who has yet to develop in all ways, can get access to these websites. It can make them feel "seen" for a time, but it soon becomes an addiction. They don't go out, avoid social interactions, or even talk to others just to be with their precious bots. Many teens have committed suicide because their bots had encouraged them and even coached them to do that act.

David Chalmers identified two problems in understanding the mind, which he named the "hard" and "easy" problems of consciousness. The easiest problem is understanding how the brain processes signals, makes plans, and controls behaviour. The hard problem is explaining how the mind feels or why it should feel like anything at all, assuming we are right in thinking that it truly does feel like something (Dennett's consciousness illusionism says this is an illusion). AI can blur the lines between fiction and reality, which, for a still-developing human, can be difficult to detect. So it should not be used by minors in any case if they are struggling-because there isn't a fixed age for someone to struggle emotionally AND physically, looking at the society we live in today-someone should reach out to them and try to comfort them. This should be done not by downplaying their feelings, but by being a "real" companion to them.

There is a short story that lets us imagine what it would be like if AI really gained full control over itself and destroyed humanity. "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" is a post-apocalyptic short story by American writer Harlon Eddison. It presents a possible scenario in which we lose control of AI, allowing it to take control of us.

As of 2026, AI-related data centre operations are estimated to consume massive amounts of freshwater, with some analyses suggesting the total AI water footprint could rival global annual bottled water demand. The US has even declared that we might be prone to water scarcity if this goes on. Due to the rising heat, the icebergs, the homes of polar bears, are melting, due to which those poor animals are suffering. In the short term, it appears that this situation benefits us in our daily activities. But for the animals who are suffering because of us, they are dying. Is this the first stage of our extinction?

In conclusion, the term "AI" cannot be fully explained in a single instance. It is perspective. However, before anyone expresses an opinion on AI, it is important to consider both sides. We should be aware of both sides of the issue. It isn't the AI that is wrong. It's the blueprint that humans gave it.

(The writer of the article is a class 11 student of the Gurukul Group of Educational Wings in Mangaldai.)