3.2 | The machine versus you

1. Introduction

In the last lesson, you learned about the different roles governments and public servants play in the context of AI. You also experienced firsthand that exploring AI tools is a valuable way for public servants to learn about AI’s transformative potential and get to grips with its limitations.

In this lesson, we will put you and the AI machine side-by-side. You’ll learn what makes your human intelligence special and why AI can only complement you, not replace you.

2. The difference between artificial and human intelligence

AI and human intelligence are both complex and multifaceted, but there are some key differences between the two:

• AI is rule-based, while human intelligence is based on experience and understanding. AI systems are programmed with rules that tell them how to behave. Human intelligence, on the other hand, is based on our experiences and understanding of the world. This allows us to learn and adapt in ways that AI systems cannot.

• AI is good at tasks that are repetitive and predictable, while human intelligence is good at tasks that require creativity and problem-solving. AI systems are very good at tasks that can be broken down into a set of rules. For example, they can be used to sort data, identify patterns and make predictions. However, they are not as good at tasks that require creativity and problem-solving. These are tasks that require us to think outside the box and come up with new solutions.

• AI is objective, while human intelligence is subjective. AI systems are not biased by their own experiences or emotions. They make decisions based on the data that they are given. Human intelligence, on the other hand, is subjective. We are influenced by our own experiences and emotions, which can sometimes lead us to make biased decisions.

AI has the potential to revolutionise the public service. It can be used to automate tasks, improve efficiency, and make better decisions. However, it is important to remember that AI is not a magic bullet. It cannot solve all of our problems, and it can sometimes introduce new challenges.

Here are some examples of what AI cannot do for the public service:

• Think creatively or solve problems that require common sense.

• Understand the nuances of human behaviour.

• Be trusted to make decisions that affect people's lives.

2.1 There’s something we haven’t told you

Navigate to the expandable box below to find out our secret. We’re sending you an apology in advance!

3. The difference between human and artificial intelligence

Let’s start over. A bona fide human has written this part of the lesson, we promise.

First, if you were duped by the AI-generated content at first glance, it’s easy to understand why. Aside from not being given any clue to expect it, the language is clear, and there is a sense of ‘humanness’ (words like ‘us’, we’, ‘our’). It even prompted you to question AI’s output!

For something created by a machine in a matter of seconds, it’s rather impressive.

But what differences did you spot? Maybe you detected:

• Missing information like: ‘AI systems are programmed with rules that tell them how to behave’. But you know from Section 1 that machine learning doesn’t require computers to be pre-programmed.

• Misleading phrases like: ‘AI systems are not biased’, when you learned throughout Section 2 that they can be.

• Incomplete comparisons that lack nuance like: ‘AI is good at tasks that are repetitive and predictable’, whereas the human writing this lesson would say “AI can do repetitive and predictable tasks quickly without getting bored or distracted by podcasts about how to achieve a perfect work-life balance.”

Crucially, you didn’t need an instruction manual or an online course to tell you how to spot these differences. Like AI, you’ve been ‘trained’ to recognise patterns. But your dataset is vast in comparison; it contains the whole world you’ve experienced from birth.

In the words of Rose Luckin, Professor of Learner Centred Design, University College London Knowledge Lab and co-author of AI for School Teachers, “AI is clever, but it can only scratch the surface.”1

4. Don’t underestimate your superpowers

‘The ELIZA effect’ describes a tendency to falsely attribute human thought processes and emotions to AI systems, leading people to believe they are more intelligent than they are. And, yes, it is named after the first-ever chatbot you learned about in Lesson 1.1.

AI may be able to process large amounts of data quickly, but you are still “more efficient at handling ambiguous situations or those requiring intuition, creativity, emotion, judgement, and empathy.”2 Problems arise when organisations rely too much on AI. In government, there is no replacement for the expertise of public servants facing specific issues in the context of their day-to-day jobs.3

In short? It takes a lot of human intelligence to make AI systems that behave intelligently.

5. Conclusion

In this lesson, AI was downgraded, and human intelligence rose to the top of the class. You learned that while AI can process large amounts of information, produce results and complete some tasks quicker than you, it is no match for your intuition, creativity, emotion, judgement and empathy.

In the next lesson, we will use your expertise to identify specific issues in your day-to-day job that AI could help you with. Ready to take advantage of the information only a public servant like you could know? Let’s go.

Key takeaways:

• AI is clever but it can only scratch the surface of human intelligence.

• AI excels at efficiently processing large amounts of information.

• Human intelligence excels at handling ambiguous situations or those requiring intuition, creativity, emotion, judgement and empathy.

• It takes a lot of human intelligence to make AI systems that behave intelligently.

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