Recent years have witnessed a striking shift in public discourse surrounding the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to mitigate the challenges of an aging population. While once a popular topic on Chinese social media platforms like Zhihu, the discussion has largely disappeared. This article explores the reasons behind this decline in optimism, focusing on the fundamental limitations of AI in addressing the complex needs of human society, particularly the cyclical nature of human consumption and the inherent limitations of artificial systems.
The once-promising vision of AI resolving societal issues, like population aging, has faded into obscurity. While AI can undoubtedly automate tasks, such as running a shop or managing inventory, the fundamental human needs remain unaddressed. The example of automated vending machines highlights a crucial point: while these systems eliminate human labor costs, they fail to generate the continuous consumption cycles that human beings drive. A machine does not eat, sleep, or require personal care; it does not experience the cyclical needs and desires that sustain human economies.
This inherent difference reveals a critical contradiction. Human beings, unlike machines, possess a dynamic interplay of needs, desires, and consumption patterns. The satisfaction of these needs is not a one-time event, but a continuous process. A person, whether a wealthy emperor or a common citizen, experiences hunger, thirst, and a multitude of other necessities repeatedly throughout their lives. This constant need for replenishment and renewal underpins the complex dynamics of human economies.
The historical examples of emperors like慈禧 and 唐玄宗, despite their opulent lives, highlight the limitations of even the most privileged individuals. Their experiences, while dramatically different from the average person, underscore the fact that even the most lavish provision ultimately cannot guarantee indefinite survival or perpetuate a continuous cycle of consumption. Once the supply of resources is cut off, the system collapses.
This inherent limitation of AI systems – their inability to replicate the continuous consumption patterns of human beings – fundamentally undermines their potential for solving the challenges of an aging population. While AI can automate various tasks, it cannot replicate the complex human needs that drive economic activity and social interaction. The shift in public discourse likely reflects a growing recognition of this fundamental truth. While AI might augment certain aspects of society, a holistic solution to population aging likely requires a more nuanced and human-centric approach.
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