By Miguel James Obispo
Picture this: a Bosconian uses ChatGPT to do something he couldn’t be bothered to do himself. In doing so, he may have inadvertently subjected himself to a little quantum physics.
How though? Research, artificial intelligence (AI), and the quantum realm appear incongruous. Can the esoteric ideas of some physicists help us understand AI’s increasing role in modern research? It hardly seems so!
However, the connections become apparent in the case of the lessons learned at Don Bosco Makati’s 6th Research Symposium, held on April 18 and 19 at the Braga Auditorium. The symposium tackled AI as a central theme, including transparency and accountability in dealing with this powerful and fast-rising tool.
The quantum connection is all about the thought experiment: Schrodinger’s cat.
It posits that if a feline is put in a box with a 50/50 chance of survival upon opening, the animal exists in both a state of life and death until the box is opened.
When we investigate the role of AI in research, we find that AI has the ability to positively affect change by boosting the productivity of researchers and enhancing the quality of their work. This is when the cat is alive, relating the analogy to Schrodinger. Nevertheless, there’s still the risk of plagiarism and overt reliance on AI. This is when the cat is dead. Opening the box simply means waiting; AI, in time, is bound to improve and become even more relevant.
The speakers for the event had a few to say about this. In the words of Dr. John N. Ponsaran, PHD, a key thought had been echoed in the auditorium: we shouldn’t vilify AI.
Rather, AI is subject to cultural lag; the rapid advancement of technology (AI) has made it difficult for society to keep up, resulting in societal problems.
Another prominent speaker was Dr. Deborah A. Javier, PhD. She argued that AI is merely a tool, something that researchers can use but be accountable for.
This leads us back to Schrodinger’s cat. While we wait for AI, it is both a friend and foe, just as the cat is both dead and alive. But going beyond the thought experiment, we will eventually have to find out whether or not AI proves to be “alive or dead,” not just in the context of research.
At the end of the day, we humans are the reason for AI’s being and are the agents for its advancement. We master them, not the other way around. And in the case of the analogy of Schrodinger’s Cat and AI, when we open that box, and we will have to open that box, the cat is most definitely going to be alive.
