“Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better” was a 1946 showtune written by Irving Berlin for the Broadway musical “Annie Get Your Gun.”  The song is usually sung as a duet with a man and woman claiming that they can outdo the other at most any task.  This came to mind in a recent presentation by Colorado State University scholar Boris Nikolaev on Artificial Intelligence (AI). When it comes to any number of what we usually think of as human mental tasks: from writing computer code, to diagnosing tumors to writing poetry, anything you can do AI can do better.   

The professor began his talk with an AI generated country music song he created for the lecture targeted to Ball State students with striking images of BSU mascot Charlie Cardinal. A very impressive display. Even more impressive was Nikolaev’s use of AI to help him file and ultimately win a civil case with a contactor over defective workmanship on a home repair. He and his wife were compensated.  

Of course, we have lived through technological revolutions before. When it comes to physical tasks from digging ditches, to banging out part from hot metal to weaving cloth, mechanically powered machines do better than mere human brawn.  The Industrial Revolution did displace many ditch diggers, village blacksmiths and cloth weavers. Yet it can hardly be claimed it led to endemic unemployment. Someone had to design, build, maintain and operate all those machines. Mass production of goods and services led to multiple-fold increases in living standards for ordinary folks. 

Many are concerned about AI’s potential on human cognitive habits and development.  Will we become less capable thinkers if we outsource complex tasks to AI? Over two millennia ago, Socrates warned that a new dangerous technology would: “Make students forgetful, destroy their memory, fill them with ‘false wisdom,’ make them ‘a burden to society.’” He was referring to new-fangled written texts! 

We are not well versed in the topic but we can find little evidence written texts have had a harmful impact on human memory.  We are very certain that written texts have done much to advance human knowledge.  So, while we recognize there will inevitably be downsides to AI adoption, we also recognize its benefits. By the way: this column is NOT, never has, and never will be AI generated. Nevertheless, AI does help us check facts. But NO Mr. AI, we can do it better!