HUMAN WEAKNESSES IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
SEPT 21, SUNDAY
TOPIC: HUMAN WEAKNESSES IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Video editor: Mandy Cai, Grade 10 of Abbey Park High School
This afternoon we held a seminar titled “AI and Humans,” where we reflected together on an urgent question: how will artificial intelligence amplify human weaknesses and reshape our understanding of what it means to be human? The discussion arose from an observable phenomenon: while AI brings efficiency and power, it also magnifies some of our ancient and deep-rooted flaws. The following points are mainly drawn from this book:
Take “bias” as an example of a human weakness: it stems from the limited ways people collect and process information. In the AI era, when it seems that massive data and instant analysis can supply “complete knowledge,” it is easy to forget that what we obtain remains partial and is shaped by hidden assumptions. When people over-trust AI’s answers, they may build self-enclosing information cocoons that deepen existing prejudices.
Another human weakness—narcissism—is often described as a natural stage of growth: at birth we feel omnipotent, and maturity requires a gradual development of rational self-reflection. However, in interactions with AI, it caters to our desire for self-affirmation, shields us from criticism, and amplifies narcissistic tendencies, tempting users to immerse themselves in contexts without failure or discomfort. In this way, AI can cut the very path of self-awareness that shapes “rational persons.”
The third weakness identified is the decline of patience and the rise of laziness. Human nature tends toward comfort and avoiding hardship. When AI makes every task faster, the motivation to think deeply or to practice deliberately decreases; people become restless and seek only quick gratification.
Finally, curiosity and creativity—the driving forces of human progress—are at risk of being dulled. When every question can be answered in seconds, the motivation to explore fades; as AI’s responses converge into predictable patterns, the diverse sparks of human imagination gradually dim.
The book Human Weaknesses in the AI Era is only about a hundred pages; some classmates had already read its e-book before coming to the seminar. In addition to reviewing and summarizing this book, our reading mentor Ms. Jinlu also prepared and recommended 18 more titles! By surveying these classic Eastern and Western works on human nature, we can glimpse how various cultures observe human nature and where they converge or differ. Below are the things we learned from those extended readings:
HUMAN NATURE IN DIFFERENT CULTURES’ PERSPECTIVE:
The seminar then turned to the broader theme of how cultures around the world have understood human nature.
To help everyone connect the two cultural contexts that participants grew up in, Ms. Jinlu specially presented the following material:
IN CHINESE PERSPECTIVE
In Chinese philosophy, Mencius famously argued that “human nature is good,” comparing it to water flowing downward. His view—echoed in Confucian teachings—stresses that people are born with the seeds of virtue but must be nurtured through family, education, and upright governance.
By contrast, Xunzi held that “human nature is evil,” arguing that goodness is an artificial product created through rites, law, and education. Legalist thinkers like Han Fei and Li Si took this idea to the extreme, viewing people as selfish, almost animalistic beings who require absolute authority and harsh laws to be restrained.
Meanwhile, Daoism and Buddhism offer an entirely different perspective: the Tao Te Ching reminds us that “Heaven and Earth are impartial, treating all things like straw dogs,” while Buddhist texts such as the Diamond Sutra and Hui Neng’s verses portray reality as transient and illusory, emphasizing liberation from attachment.
IN THE EYES OF THE WEST
The Western tradition also contains contrasting accounts.
Christianity introduced the doctrine of Original Sin: from birth people carry seven deadly tendencies—pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. The challenge of life is to overcome these through faith, community, and redemption. Literature has long wrestled with these themes: Dante’s Divine Comedy is a long journey through sin and salvation; Hamlet probes the complexity of conscience and the tension between action and paralysis; Cervantes’s Don Quixote presents both the nobility and the folly of human ideals.
Later, the Renaissance celebrated human initiative and freedom, while the Enlightenment sought to design institutions—such as the separation of powers—based on theories of human nature. Yet that freedom also gave rise to hedonism and nihilism, questions echoed in Shakespeare’s timeless “To be or not to be.”
Postmodernism later proclaimed “God is dead,” calling for new values and raising Nietzsche’s idea of the Übermensch; 19th- and 20th-century writers and poets depicted the suffering and contradictions of modern humanity.
“God is dead”goes hard lol.
Finally, the seminar closed with a powerful reminder:
AI may outperform humans in calculations, memory, or even creativity by imitation, but it can never feel the joy of Don Quixote’s battle against the windmill, the freedom of Dante’s soul after redemption, or the profound happiness Nietzsche envisioned in the “superhuman.” These are experiences tied to courage, suffering, and the search for meaning — things no algorithm can live through. To preserve our uniqueness in a digitalizing world, we must value creativity, humility, patience, and imagination.
As recommended, we can turn to timeless works such as “Journey to the West”, “Three Kingdoms”, and “Dream of the Red Chamber” from China, alongside “Don Quixote”, “Hamlet”, and Dante’s “Divine Comedy” from the West. Each of these classics, in its own way, illuminates the paradoxes and possibilities of human nature.
AI may be able to replace certain tasks, but it will never replace the essence of humanity: a strong mind, a brave heart, and a soft soul.
“A strong mind, a brave heart, and a soft soul.”
Author Bio：
Frank Ding is a grade 8 student in Pilgrim Wood Public School. He enjoys Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time, exploring topics related to quantum computing, playing basketball, and walking the dogs in his family.
