Is AI an exoskeleton for the mind?
Technology that helps people do things they couldn’t otherwise achieve can also lead to atrophy.
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An exoskeleton robot suit can help paraplegics walk but there is a risk that reliance on AI as an “exoskeleton of the mind” could lead to atrophy of cognitive muscles, says the writer.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Sarah O’Connor
My favourite part of my cycle to work is the steep hill I have to climb just before I reach the office. I switch my e-bike’s power setting to maximum and sail smugly upwards, saying a silent prayer of thanks to whoever invented such wonderful technology.
By the time I am old, I might be similarly grateful to the inventors of “everyday exoskeletons”: devices such as bionic trainers and robotic hip belts that are designed to help older people with declining mobility to stay more active than they could otherwise manage.
