A most unfortunate circumstance: Human extinction and the prevalence of automatons that may be deemed more effective and sustainable. Hypothetically speaking, humans may have initiated and perpetuated a movement to end their own existence.

Imagine an idealistic society, one which consists of uniformity and expounds upon the concept of perfection. Needless to say, we are getting ever so close to this society, as we make incremental progress on a daily basis. Unbeknownst to the majority of mankind, profound discovery and constant acquisition of knowledge, whether it be for self-recognition, contribution to society holistically, or sheer pleasure, are being heavily exploited. Information that once seemed beneficial to mankind is now leaving the realm of our constructive society through slits that often go unnoticeable. These openings allow for information to be within the grasp of misanthropes who can, in turn, use knowledge against humans in such a way that perpetuates human extinction. Apart from misanthropes, normal citizens are also often caught in the illusory nature of advancing the human race, without understanding the ramifications of outperforming human potential. Thus knowledge, in this case, is empowering yet delicate and the inappropriate execution of it may result in defunct societal mechanisms within a race.

Regardless of their awareness, both humanists and misanthropes alike may be moving towards a societal construct of adopting mechanical systems and computerized automatons, those that have the capability to eradicate every bit of biological activity and flesh from the face of this earth. Technological enthusiasts have praised the advancement of modern automatons and their capabilities, but they are unaware that they themselves might be replaced by the very things they have created. The rise of artificial intelligence and its frightening measures are as intimidating as they are fascinating. These machines are more than just a billion “if-else” statements, after all; they run on the knowledge that humans have passed onto them, and we are often oblivious to the great capacity of information that they can store. They have taken on their own ways of processing information, ways that are based off of and have the potential to surpass those of humans.

There exists a controversy in which humans are inferior to high-end automatons and the artificial intelligence implemented in each, and this may in fact be true given our current circumstances in the world. Were humans built to last? Or were we destined to face the disconcerting truths? The problem only gets worse. Our advancement in the field of automations and for a lack of better terms, robots, is only moderate at this point in time. There is still room for the improvement of these systems, or distress on our part. With more detailed mechanisms like machine learning come greater systems of virtualization and simulation of human beings evoking a more intimate and humane aspect of these computer systems.

This leaves us inconclusive yet it raises caution regarding the work of scientists.

<Timothy J. Park Fairmont Preparatory Academy 11th Grade>