A survey finds optimism hinges on whether humans keep control. View our Twitter (X) feedView our Youtube channelView our Instagram feedView our Substack feedView our Spotify feed Will AI make life less meaningful? Do you see AI as a tool humans control or a technology that will act on its own?
Science and TechPhilosophyArtificial IntelligenceAutomationExistentialism OpenAI recently announced that its latest artificial intelligence model had solved, in a matter of weeks, more than 100 math problems that humans had worked on for years. The news sparked what seemed like an existential crisis among mathematicians, leaving some to wonder what role humans would have in the future of their field. It’s not just academics who are worried.
In a new national survey, we found that Americans are more likely to see AI as a threat to meaning than as a resource that supports it. But that view depends on whether people think of AI as a tool that will remain under human control or as something that will become autonomous. Discussions about AI tend to focus on its practical costs and benefits, from job loss and cyberattacks to scientific and medical breakthroughs.
Far less attention has been paid to its potential psychological effects, especially on our sense of meaning. Humans are a distinctly existential species. We don’t just strive for survival but also for significance, and people who perceive their lives as meaningful tend to be more psychologically healthy and resilient.
A strong sense of meaning also promotes physical health and longevity, goal achievement, financial success, and prosocial behavior. This is because meaning is ultimately a self-regulatory and motivational resource. When we believe our lives matter, we have a reason to make the daily decisions and pursue the long-term ambitions that keep us healthy, productive, and connected to others.
Much of what makes life meaningful comes from our relationships, work, and creative pursuits. AI is increasingly involved in all of these human endeavors. It writes code, creates art, and solves complex intellectual problems.
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