On Freewill and Destiny

 On Freewill and Destiny

Freewill is the power one holds to make own choice and decisions independent of any preset fate. Destiny is events which are beyond control and cannot be changed but just accepted.

Outcome of events happening on account of freewill and on account of destiny sets a never-ending debate for ages. Many believe in freewill, and many believe in destiny, interestingly both walk their respective lives side by side accepting the final outcome as an end product of their choice.

By viewing technology through the lens of freewill and destiny leads to a wider topic for futuristic discussion.

If technology is an act of freewill then its entire outcome produces both favorable and unfavorable results, some are benefitting and some are disturbing. Those who enjoy benefits attribute it to freewill and those who get disturbed prefer destiny over freewill.

If technology is an act of destiny, then its entire outcome also produces both favorable and unfavorable results, some are benefitting and some are disturbing. Those who benefit attribute it to destiny and those who get disturbed prefer freewill over destiny.

Destiny stands unchanged but freewill encourages experimentation. The digital revolution has brought Artificial Intelligence to the foreground. This AI has started to change the way people live. Rapid progress in AI technology has brought distress in social patterns and economic functions.

If AI is an outcome due to developmental process based on freewill then the emerging result should have options of freewill to alter the outcome rather than pushing the outcome to an unchangeable destiny.

If AI is an outcome due to developmental process based on destiny, then the emerging result should have no option for freewill to alter results but simply accept the unchangeable outcome of destiny.

The impact of AI revolution has changed the social lifestyle. Human society is inching towards total acceptance of AI systems through digital patterns of compelling nature. If humans accept these compelling digital patterns in social life, then they step into a circle from which they will not be able to come out.

If AI revolution is a process of destiny, then humans will simple be forced into the circle due to compelling patterns and will not be able to exit. But if AI revolution is a process of freewill then even if they enter into the circle due to compelling patterns there will always be an option of freewill to help them to step out of the circle.

To accept without altering or to alter without accepting is in the hands of the policy makers who design the future. Politicians and Technocrats have to synchronize in designing the future or a "Techno-politician" has to design the future.

Two minds are always better than one, but much will depend on whether they synchronize or not.