The advent of Artificial Intelligence and Robots: The new “OTHER” from within affecting our wellbeing
By Rodolfo A Trivisonno, MD
May 30/2025
Since the 1980s we have been going through a social transformation caused by the “cybernetic revolution.” As a result of the development of the personal computer, the internet, and smart phones, we have gone from “the paper era” into “the electronic record keeping era” in only four decades. Cybernetics–the result of advances in miniaturization, electronics, and informatics–have created a new environment in which the use of computerized systems rule every aspect of human activities in today’s world. Humans are still struggling to adjust to the massive changes caused by this cybernetic revolution. Even though there are many undeniable benefits associated to the use of this technologies, the dark side of eliminating paper records are many. This cybernetic revolution has led to replacing paper first–and many human beings as flesh-and-bones employees–later. It has created a social situation in which millions are now—and will be in the near future—increasingly excluded. Millions of individuals have already been left out of the productive world and of systems because of the rules imposed by a computerized world. Those that because of their age, lack of economic means, or mental illness–-or simply because of computer illiteracy–cannot access the computerized businesses–and the government bureaucracies–have been left out. This technological trend contributes to the growing marginalization of millions of individuals and they are important factors that add to the widening of the socio-economic gap between the affluent and the poor. This technological marginalization has an intense negative effect on our level of mental health.
The arrival of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
As we go through the third decade of the 21st century, we are now confronted with an unprecedented new reality: The advent of Artificial Intelligence AI. In the last decade, this form of Non-Human-Intelligence (NHI) created by humans is in 2025 the holy grail of the cybernetic revolution and of the stock markets. Now, not only do we have to deal with depersonalized computerized systems and their conundrums—but we also have to contend with a new Other that we do not quite understand: the self-directed machine. This new “Other of technology” conjures the fears of a machine-directed “Big Brother” as described in Orwell’s 1984 dystopic novel. This is an Other that—if left unchecked and if it is coupled with authoritarian governments—can take control of the destinies of the human race. The consequences of having autonomous–decision-making machines–that are now more intelligent than even the most knowledgeable experts in every field of endeavor–have unpredictable effects on humans’ well-being. Humans mental health is thus challenged; and, because of the lighting speed of these transformations, these challenges have not even been properly researched yet in the fields of psychology and psychiatry.
The impact of the AI revolution on society
In the course of the 21st century, the combination of AI with robotics makes possible the existence of a variety of robots and humanoids that within the next five years will populate the world by the millions and will become a part of everyday life. This new cyber-ruled reality controlled by a small plutocratic elite is threatening the common folk mental stability with the looming danger of the displacement of millions of workers that will be replaced by cost-effective AI systems and robots. This new socio-economic reality–coupled with the growing concentration of wealth and resources observed since the late 20th–is now a source of worry, fear–and uncertainty–in millions. This is so, as excluded individuals will soon become redundant for the functioning of the social system and for the activity of the productive chain. The major risks involved resulting from this revolution of intelligent machines include:
- The potential for misuse of AI by malignant actors with the intention of breaking security codes, spreading fake news to sway public opinion and affect the results of elections, as well as the ability to carry out ever-more elaborated cyber crime schemes.
- The use of competing AI systems and robots by world powers as cyber weapons used for disruption and warfare.
- The possibility that robots and other machines responding to the AI systems that control them will obey these other superior machines rather than respond to human beings. These are factual possibilities with today’s technology leaving the realm of science fiction today and worsening in the 2030s.
- The most serious possibility of all being the general AI takeover of the control of systems and even nations
These potential risks of the arrival of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) are not just my own personal opinion, but they are concerns that have been voiced by the very creators of these technologies, such as Geoffrey Hinton (The Godfather of AI), Stephen Hawkins, Bill Gates–and even Elon Musk. The present reality of artificial general intelligence (AGI)–and eventually, the development of Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI)–-is now accelerated further by the existence of quantum computers. This combination of AI with quantum computers will enhance by millions of times the cognitive power of the next generation of AI machines creating Intelligent agents many times more intelligent than humans. What lies at the other side of these technological developments is unfathomable.
The bright side of AI: the possibility of Abundance
On the positive side of things, optimistic thinkers believe that AGI will lead to a state of general abundance. This situation of “abundance,” they think, would eliminate many of the problems that plague humanity at the present time. Materially, this is a possible reality of the generalized use of AGI over time. However, the psychological problems for individuals of being replaced by a robot or AI in the work place will not end with general abundance or even with the institution of a Universal Basic Income (UBI). This is the case as human beings find in meaningful work–not just financial income to meet their needs–but many salubrious mental health effects provided by work itself. From a psychological standpoint works fulfills many human needs:
- Work gives people a sense of meaning, of identity, and of belonging to groups bigger than the self.
- The work place is for many their main source of contact with others.
- Earning a living is a motive of pride and self-satisfaction, especially if a by product is created or a service to others is rendered. It makes people feel needed and helpful, i.e., important
- Meaningful work is essential to self-esteem and a sense of human dignity.
- Meaningful works provides meaning to people’s lives
UBI may help palliate the widespread poverty created by job displacement but will not eliminate the sense of exclusion and meaninglessness of the masses. It is likely that under these conditions, social unrest will grow further out of anger spiraling out of control into social chaos, violence, and massive revolt. Substance use will also skyrocket in these circumstances of leisurely “abundance”. Another problem with the arrival of Abundance is that it may be materially possible through AGI, but it will only be available for the few that benefit from this new arrangement. This is so as the state of “material abundance” does not guarantee any means of fair distribution of wealth in a world driven by profit and not by ethics.
Things to ponder about these new realities humans are now facing
Where are we going with all of this? The situation created by the appearance of non-human intelligence is unprecedented. Therefore, there are no guides from the past to fully gauge the impact of these new realities on the human psyche. It is clear, however, that we are on the threshold of an unprecedented era that cannot be equated with the two previous scientific revolutions. In this new era—whether we like it or not–we will have to get used to the idea that we will share our world with other forms of intelligence imbued with wills of their own. The difference this time is that these intelligences are not based on biology, which determines certain inherent limitations. They are rather non-human, non-biological–and therefore potentially unlimited–incomprehensible entities–with self-existence and the power of agency. The question is, what will be the Desire of these Other cyberbeings be? Will their wished align with those of their creators or will they “go rogue” and pursue their own agendas?
It is clear that–given the history of humanity’s high levels of aggression aimed to impose some individuals wills on others–it is not irrelevant to pose the question: Who will be in control of human destiny in the upcoming decades? Will AGI and Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) develop their own plans as Hal 9000 does in “2001 Space Odyssey” and lead to humanity ruination? Will AGI or ASI take over the decision-making role at the planetary level? Will it achieve it by developing a superior and overpowering “Mind” of its own that may regard humans as slaves at best–or as parasites to be eliminated from the planet–at worst?
With the advent of humanoids and robots powered by AI, thousands of mechanical beings with the power of agency (the ability to making their own decisions with impact on the world around them) will walk around us in the near future. These machine-entities will have “a mind or their own,” with human-given power to make choices. Their creators are giving them the ability to learn from their experiences and the capacity to update themselves without the direction of human programmers. They are being granted “free choice,” a psychological characteristic only present in humans throughout history. And they very likely demand being given “individual rights”.
Given what we know about intelligent beings from our experience with humans, the chances of things going wrong in this scenario are very high. This is so as humans have a natural tendency to oppose and disobey orders. These machine entities have been developed by fallible humans’ beings. Accordingly, they are expected to share with humans beings all the known human flaws. These entities will then probably harbor desires for Control, Power, and a “Desire for Being, reproduction, and self-perpetuation” just like their creators. This will be the case even if they are functioning correctly. On the other hand, if these NHIs have as many ‘bugs” and glitches as our computers and the Rumbas cleaning our floors, God only knows the kinds of problems humans are going to run into in their daily life in the next decades. For all of this, I believe that we as a species are facing an existential threat and we are totally unprepared for what is coming up in the very near future. The proverbial Pandora Box has been opened without humanity’s consent by the choice by of a small group of scientists and technocrats serving governments and corporations in their pursuit of profit and power. The long-term effects of these changes resulting from the advent of these new “Others” on human minds and mental health remain unforeseeable at this time and should call for reflection and public action while there is still a chance to modify the course of events.
Further articles following up on this subject are coming.
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