The second session of the 'dIAlogos'
series, organised by the Vice-Rectorate
for Strategic Planning and Digital Culture to promote and expand digital
culture in relation to the impact and repercussion of AI on society and
education, featured a talk by Macarena
Estévez, an expert in Data Science and Data Analytics. Ricardo Palomo, Dean of the School of Economics and Business,
accompanied the speaker in a colloquium titled: 'How can people and machines collaborate?'
The expert explained the role that AI plays in companies, academic
institutions, and in our daily lives as human beings. In today's society, there
is a fearful perception regarding advanced technology and possible automation,
causing the frequent question: 'Will machines replace us?' Estévez emphasised that "machines
will never be like humans, as they learn from data and we learn from
experiences. We have ideas, critical judgement, creative evaluation,
intellectual curiosity, and emotional intelligence, all of which are very
important. Now, they are trying to make machines detect our emotional state,
whether we are happy, sad, or angry; apart from being unethical, these machines
will never achieve the power of human insight."
In a transformative digital society with increasing access to
technologies that have become our primary source of information, riding the
wave of AI, for Ms Estevez, is crucial
because "access to knowledge is
universal, complete, and infinite." However, we need to know how to
manage and adapt these technologies to the business world and differentiate
ourselves from machines. To avoid replacement and automation, we have "the option to climb up the corporate ladder
because we distinguish ourselves by our ability to think, by our comprehensive
vision, by our holistic vision, by the ability to question, and by what is the
essence of being human."
Macarena Estévez has advocated for a future in which humans will be "a species complemented by machines with a
great capacity," but for companies, "the intangible values of each individual" will be the most
important asset. The Data Science expert highlights that companies are allowing
everyone to access generative artificial intelligence as a competitive tool of
differentiation. In order to address the current concern of falling behind in
the job market, "we must enrich
ChatGPT and other AI technologies, and we must also create our own
intelligences with the unique and creative intelligence that human beings
possess." Machines have freed us from many tasks and many jobs, and we
live in a revolution with access to generative artificial intelligence, causing
a radical change in society and the economy.
Following her presentation, a round of questions was held where
students raised several concerns. Estévez concluded that there is indeed a
world where humans and AI can coexist and collaborate, but always on the basis
of care and adaptation.