Following the historic event where humans lost to computers in chess, another landmark moment occurred in 2016. It was the Go match between Google DeepMind’s ‘AlphaGo’ and Lee Sedol, a 9-dan Go master. Through this match, which captured the world’s attention, we witnessed the formidable power of artificial intelligence. According to the book 『AI Knowledge Even Non-Experts Can Understand』, Lee Sedol 9-dan will be recorded as the last human to defeat a machine (AI). AI has now reached a level of strategic calculation unattainable by humans through self-learning machine learning. It further cemented its presence by achieving an overwhelming victory against Ke Jie 9-dan in subsequent matches.

With the recent emergence of ChatGPT, artificial intelligence has now nearly perfected its natural language processing capabilities. I was quite shocked to hear that ‘creativity’ is one of the first fields likely to be replaced in this era of AI prominence. I had always believed creation was the exclusive domain of humans. Yet, programs like OpenAI’s ‘DALL-E’ generate astonishingly creative images in an instant when given specific queries. From writing meeting minutes to creating PowerPoint presentations, the future AI will reshape seems truly limitless.

Yet behind technological progress looms a deep shadow. Professor Geoffrey Hinton, often called the godfather of deep learning, recently left Google, leaving behind the shocking confession: “I regret my AI research.” It was a choice to break free from the business logic of giant corporations and freely warn of AI’s dangers. Concerns that Skynet from the movie ‘Terminator’ might become reality, coupled with AI technology evolving into lethal weapons for defense, pose a tangible threat to humanity. Just look at the recent drone incident shot down over the Kremlin – scenarios where technology threatens humanity are already knocking on the door of reality.

In an AI era where machines outplay humans at strategy, converse like humans, and create more creative content than humans, what exactly is humanity’s role? Paradoxically, however, the ability to pose the ‘right questions (Queries)’ has become more crucial than ever for effectively harnessing AI. Furthermore, establishing the criteria for ‘moral judgments’—such as deciding whom an autonomous vehicle should protect in a near-collision situation—remains a domain only humans can ultimately fulfill.

Ultimately, the value of sincere emotion and service—something only spiritual beings like humans can provide—will remain indispensable in any era. To share that warmth machines cannot replicate, I resolve once again today to keep writing on my blog and to serve my neighbors with genuine care.