In this era where there is so much talk—including by us—about Artificial Intelligence (AI), and with predictions forecasting that in less than a decade AI will surpass human cognitive capacity, it is worth reflecting on something no one discusses.
There is a quality that unites everything we know as Life on planet Earth: emotions. And emotions carry with them the notion of empathy, that is, the power to share, understand, and internalize the feelings of another expression of Life.
As far as we know, AI is incapable of this quality. Yet, regarding human beings—who are part of the planet's Life—we live in an era where empathy is fading before our eyes or is being relegated only to those who think like us or belong to our inner circle: family, friends, culture, religion, or ethnicity.
To me, this poses a significant risk in the face of encroachment upon us. If we lose empathy for the
life around us, we cease to be human and become
more vulnerable to control by AI and the few who
use it for their own gain.