It was a competition that few in the country had ever heard about: the selection of All American Roses. This competitive lasted two years as roses were judged on disease resistance, hardiness and vigor, floral quality, and the overall structure of the rose plant. Winning roses were instant success stories.
Floral quality was perhaps the most distinguishing feature in the competition, especially the color. The nature of the competition began to change in the 21st Century as breeders became geneticists with expertise in gene modification. But one man remained successful in rose breeding entirely based upon his intuition formed by curiosity. Now, with the use of artificial intelligence (AI), it seemed as if Alan’s days were in the past.
The ultimate challenge was who would be first to develop a true blue rose. Would it be Alan and his innate sense of rose breeding? Or would it be an AI generated genetic modification? This became an essential question for society in general: Is there still a place for human curiosity in an AI word?
AI has a distinct advantage in rapid exploration of possibilities. It can be a research partner. But when AI results become authoritative, the engine that drives discovery begins to fade in importance. And that engine is curiosity.
Those who turn to AI for answers will find their ability to explore the unknown will begin to atrophy. No longer will they develop the neuroplasticity in their brains that leads to true understanding. In effect, the brilliant minds that feed the AI engines will be harder to find.
Curiosity can’t be described by an algorithm. AI can only generate what is already known. Curiosity can lead to discoveries yet to be imagined. In an AI world, good becomes the best possible. While curiosity has no ceiling on what might be possible.