Technology and the Future of Man

The main paper was presented by Dr. Nora Al-Suoyan, commented on by Mr. Sami Al-Hussain, Dr. Wafa Taybah and Dr. Abdul Salam Wail, and the debate was moderated by Dr. Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Humoud. Dr Nora indicated that by entering the fourth industrial revolution, the world began to witness the emergence of innovations that have a fundamental role in reducing the human role in favor of the machine, through what is now known as “artificial intelligence.” Under these conditions, there are legitimate fears of the expansion of unemployment, with a global position on the outputs of artificial intelligence and the nature of its role in the future. The controversy remains unresolved about these aspects.

Dr. Nora added that the position of uncertainty towards the technology boom manifested in “artificial intelligence” addresses its effect on unemployment, social inequality, and the breakdown of social relations as a result of the deteriorating economic situation. As for those who support the technology boom, they see “artificial intelligence” as a breakthrough in science and technology. Therefore, the paper sees that laws and legislations must be issued to regulate the development of “artificial intelligence”. It also advocates programs to preserve the sovereignty of the human element and the security of the planet, and to control the course of scientific research. It calls for setting the priorities for investment in this sector in favor of improving the quality of human life.

The comments made on the paper indicated that the presence of modern technology and its rapid development has a negative and positive impacts on all walks of human life. For instance, modern technology affected the psychological side including learning and the speed of communication among people. It also facilitated some mental processes, and made them accessible, especially to individuals with special needs. The technology replaced human observation with the machine observation, in addition to its contributions to the development of scientific research in psychology. As for the negative sides, the first losses included the loss of patience, as modern technology meets our demands quickly and creates a pleasure that we get used to, which makes us so demanding. Likewise, the great progress in technology has resulted in empowering the individual in a way difficult to imagine.

Finally, the comments stated that we have the option to inevitably resist the change that follows, or to be part of it so that we direct it in a way that maximizes the benefit of humanity and reduces the risks of its misuse.

The contributions on the main paper indicated that man is able to absorb all the developments in his/ her life, adapt to it and find solutions, and those technologies cannot be held fully responsible.

The discussions also confirmed that the technical revolutions and rapid change in the fields of technology and innovation are unavoidable. The changes brought about by these revolutions include multiple positive consequences for humanity. Therefore, we need ethical and legal controls that refine and direct this change so that it would serve humanity, and keep pace with the changes that will take place in the society because of technology.

Among the most important recommendations were the following:

• Digital transformation is the current and upcoming challenge in which we must transform from being recipients and users to creators and entrepreneurs, and from spectators to key players.
• The importance of reviving technical activities and digitization at the age of childhood, and promoting digitization and making it visible in the media, with officially honored personalities, to serve as models.
• Humanizing the technology products through the consensus reached by the governments, so that the machine would be at the service of man, not the other way round.
• Seeking to pass legislations and laws that regulate the course of the development of artificial intelligence, in order to avoid negative repercussions on man.
• Striving to harness the capabilities and efficiency of artificial intelligence data for the benefit of humanity, and to warn of any negativity affecting human development.
• Technology governance should have a wider scope, in a way that serves the good of artificial intelligence, and neutralizes the negative effects that may arise when using technical activities to accomplish businesses.
• Promoting and encouraging the path of technical learning in its modern fields and developing its strategy; promoting innovation in the educational environment, and adopting this as a basic approach in education, which enhances local digital, and reduces dependency on imported products.
• Identifying the desired goals of artificial intelligence technologies facing social, cultural and political challenges.