The myth that has persisted since the 1700s
In 1770, Count Ludwig von Cobenzl was challenged to a chess game. An Austrian courtier at the Schönbrunn Palace, he sat opposite his opponent with a smug expression. Opposite him was an ‘automated’ chess player, created by the civil servant Wolfgang von Kempelen, which he claimed had human intelligence.
Its appearance mimicked a human’s, with a life-sized head and torso, a black beard, turban, and a pair of staring grey eyes. Von Cobenzl’s confidence evaporated with a quick defeat.
Of course, what was called the Mechanical Turk, was a masterful illusion, fooling the likes of Napoleon Bonaparte. Beneath the chessboard, a human skillfully maneuvered the machine’s arms to move the pieces, silently defeating opponent after opponent.
Artificial intelligence has, of course, come a lot further than puppeteering. But one must always remain skeptical and conscious of the human labor that goes into so called ‘automated’ processes. Our founder, Jay van Zyl, likes to say: “People think things happen automagically.”
The truth is that, like any other tool, AI is only as powerful as its wielder. Current narratives around AI warn that automation of intelligence threatens to destroy careers and seize livelihoods. However, ecosystem.Ai is under no illusion that AI requires the guidance of human intelligence to have any meaningful impact.
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