In What Happens When Robots Don’t Need Us Anymore?, Emily Chang here asked Ameca, an AI robot, “Do you think robots should be trusted to make decisions about human life?” the robot’s response was striking: “The complexity and nuance of human life is something even I tread lightly around. Trusting robots with such decisions, it’s like asking a compass to navigate the complexities of a storm. It can point the way, but it doesn’t feel the wind.”

Like a compass that reliably points north even in challenging conditions, AI systems excel at processing vast amounts of data and generating consistent recommendations. Whether analyzing medical images, detecting patterns in financial transactions, or processing legal documents, this computational reliability – this ability to always point true north – provides invaluable guidance through complex decisions.

However, just as a compass cannot feel the wind or understand the captain’s ultimate destination, AI systems lack the crucial human elements of empathy, ethical judgment, and lived experience. The wind in this metaphor represents all these intangible factors that influence our decisions, reminding us that while AI can be a powerful tool for supporting human decision-making, it should not replace human wisdom entirely.