AI is the plough of the digital age

Photo by The Oregon State University Collections and Archives on Unsplash

Early humans relied on rudimentary tools like digging sticks and simple cultivation tools for farming. It was labor-intensive, time-consuming, and produced limited yields.

The invention of the plough revolutionized agriculture by enabling humans to cultivate more land (first with animals, and later with machines) with less effort, leading to food surpluses.

With less time spent securing food, humans had the opportunity to explore new technologies. Better tools, wheels, irrigation systems, and more emerged. Food surpluses allowed some members of society to focus on non-agricultural tasks, such as pottery, painting, clothing, trade, mathematics, governance, astronomy, and other intellectual pursuits.

AI, like the plough, is a transformative tool reshaping human society. The plough revolutionized humanity’s relationship with the physical world — land and agriculture — while AI is revolutionizing humanity’s relationship with the intellectual and digital worlds — data, knowledge, and decision-making.

AI boosts productivity across numerous domains by automating repetitive tasks, optimizing workflows, and providing insights from vast datasets, allowing humans to focus on more strategic, creative, or emotionally complex pursuits.

Sure, Al may not disrupt life in the same dramatic way the plough did, but it reshapes industries and enables new forms of work, augmenting human productivity rather than displacing it. Al’s impact is more subtle and ongoing, helping humans to focus on higher-order tasks rather than simply replacing labor in a competitive way.

While the plough was beneficial, its use also led to over-cultivation, soil depletion, and environmental challenges. Likewise, AI offers incredible potential but brings risks such as job displacement (in the short term), ethical dilemmas, and unintended consequences of autonomous systems.

Both represent milestones in human progress, reinforcing the idea that tools can elevate societies but must be wielded thoughtfully to ensure equitable and sustainable growth.