In my opinion, it seems that technology does and does not enhance
intelligence. The key word here is enhance. Technology certainly opens a lot of new doors and creates new
opportunities that many people never would have had access to without it.
People today can look something up instantaneously. With the assistance of
technology, it is possible to be exposed to so much more information and ideas
than they would have been without its use. By eliminating the time wasted
searching through books and other materials, we can spend more time learning.
Although calculators can sometimes be seen as a downfall, more content can be
covered when students do not have to spend the time computing each calculation
by hand and then hoping that they found the correct answer. We can spend far
less time doing tedious tasks and spend more time thinking and rationalizing in
ways that a computer cannot do. People still need to come up with
the ideas but can expand them and improve them with the use of technology.
People know more today than they ever did in the past. They have the opportunity to learn more and their intelligence is therefore enhanced. The technology doesn't necessarily make them smarter in terms of an increased ability to retain information, it simply allows for more exposure to new ideas and the ability to help the ideas grow.
The Singularity Institute states, “smarter minds
will be more effective at building still smarter minds,” however when these
tools are removed, we are back to our natural intelligence. Is it really good
to rely so much on technology? In a case such as artificial intelligence or
direct brain-computer interfaces, what happens if the computer crashes, has an
electrical issue, etc.? Dictionary.com defines intelligence as, “capacity for learning, reasoning,
understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; aptitude in grasping
truths, relationships, facts, meanings,
etc.” Does technology necessarily make people have an increased capacity? Do they always really understand things or just know
them? The more people depend on their computers and technology for
information; they spend far less time trying to remember the information and
processes it on their own. Technology is a wonderful and important tool. However, it really depends on how technology is used as to whether it enhances
intelligence or just makes people dependent on technology, therefore decreasing their intelligence. Artificial intelligence and other technological mind tools are on their way. By considering Moore's Law, it is likely that artificial intelligence will produce artificial minds that are multiple times faster than human.
Moore’s Law is a prediction made by Intel’s co-founder Gordon Moore. It
states that, “the number of transistors in a chip will double approximately
every two years” (Intel). The exact time is debated to be between 18 and 24
months. In the Assessing Technology Integration PowerPoint, slide 9 by Jukes
and McCain states that Moore’s Law is “Twice the power for half the price every
18 months.” Intel uses Moore’s Law as their “golden rule,” making chips more
productive and cost effective. Most every day technology is embedded with the
law. As the chips become smaller, faster, and cheaper, so do our electronics.
Intel’s current technology “prints individual lines smaller
than a virus and 1,000 times thinner than a human hair and manufactures
microprocessors with some features as thin as five atomic layers” (Intel). The
accomplishment is already incredible and becomes better and better as time goes
on.
Moore
stated, “Another decade is probably straightforward…There is certainly no end
to creativity.” The possibilities for new technology are endless. Technology is
outdated as soon as you buy it. It’s nearly impossible to keep up with the best
and fastest electronics available because there is always something new coming
out. It can be really frustrating to spend money on something just to see
something better being advertised. By knowing Moore’s Law, this should be more
of an assumption rather than a frustration. There will always be something
better. The "something better" may just improve your brain!
Jukes &
McCain (2002). Assessing Technology Integration PowerPoint
