By Namubiru Anna Fredah
My first experience with AI was in 2024 when I was revising for a Biometrics test. In all honesty, I couldn’t quite understand what was being explained in the hand out that I was reading and I was greatly worried. That’s when I got the idea to use Copilot which was the only AI tool I knew then. The response excited me because it was so clear to me and I proceeded to revise using the tool. I was so confident that I was even able to teach a friend who was stuck like me in the beginning.
A few numbers later, I realized that some numbers were missing clear working formulae even though the answers in the end were always correct. That was when it dawned to me that even with AI being a useful tool, it couldn’t replace critical thinking or independent learning. Since then, I use AI to work faster and more efficiently but I always verify the information and make an effort to understand the subject before sharing it with anyone else.
Today we live in an era where technology is advancing at a high rate. We have with us music, films, ads and documents created by AI, making it part of our everyday life. This raises some important questions; is AI the new normal? Should we adopt it, resist or continuously develop it?
From my perspective, AI provides solutions to various problems but it can never fully replace the human element. Human nature is naturally imperfect and those imperfections are what make us creative and unique. Qualities like empathy, personal experience and other human emotions can’t be replicated by any kind of technology.
One of my greatest concerns is the impact AI may have on children and young people. Depending on these tools that create polished and seemingly perfect results may develop unrealistic expectations about the real world. Imperfection and making mistakes are part of the real world and are some of the experiences that build character.
Therefore the real question lies; how can we use this technology responsibly while preserving our ability to think critically, learn independently and appreciate the imperfect nature of life? The answer to this question will enable to compliment humanity rather than replace the qualities that make us who we are.
The author is a Culinary scientist, Mushroom technologist, Writer
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