A glimpse of the merits in the age of artificial intelligence
A meritocracy is a political structure in which people are promoted and rewarded according to their skills, accomplishments, and diligence rather than their social standing or upbringing. Success in a meritocratic society is determined by an individual’s ability and hard work, and opportunities are supposedly available to everyone, regardless of background.
According to the idea, people who put in a lot of effort and show their abilities should succeed, while those who don’t should stay in lesser positions. Meritocracy supporters see opportunity for progress, while others predict apocalyptic outcomes. These criticisms have shaped the evolution of meritocracy, which now confronts new obstacles as artificial intelligence (AI) transforms the concept of merit.
The Varied Impacts of AI on Meritocracy
AI introduces a whole new level of complexity to the reformation of meritocracy. The following are some ways that AI’s quickly developing capabilities will change merit and the concept of meritocracy:
Betterment of Human Abilities
By introducing a non-human creature that is capable of carrying out activities, making judgements, and even “creating” at levels that can exceed human talents, artificial intelligence (AI) by definition challenges the foundation of human merit.
Since AI prioritises access to technology, it contradicts the idea of individual merit that has long been held. Those who have access to AI technologies have a substantial edge, not because of their own skills but rather because of the improved capabilities of these tools.
Further Spread the Current Disparities
AI programmes that are taught on past data have the potential to reinforce and even magnify prejudices found in that data, which could result in unfair hiring, lending, and law enforcement practices. Already underprivileged groups may be harmed by these biases.
AI would force workers into high-skill, high-paying occupations demanding creativity and complicated problem-solving, or low-skill, low-paying jobs requiring human connection and physical presence, which AI is still unable to imitate. Socioeconomic gaps will widen as a result of this polarisation since those without access to advanced education and training will be forced into lower-paying jobs.
Accountability is severely hampered by the opaque nature of many AI algorithms and the concentration of power within a small number of tech firms. People in meritocratic societies need to be aware of the standards by which their abilities and efforts are assessed.
The meritocratic ideal is undermined, nevertheless, when people find it difficult to understand how to support or contest judgements made by AI due to the “black box” nature of many AI systems.
Criticism and Evolution
Meritocracy’s detractors contend that it can have a variety of undesirable effects. They contend that in reality, meritocracy frequently falls short of guaranteeing equal opportunity for all people since those from wealthy families may have unfair advantages due to superior access to resources and education.
Critics also note that meritocracy can make wealthy people feel elitist, which makes them less sympathetic or understanding of those who have not been as lucky.
In order to guarantee that a variety of skills and viewpoints are acknowledged and rewarded in meritocratic systems, there has been an increasing awareness of the significance of diversity and inclusion.
Conclusion
The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) has further complicated the concept of merit, posing issues with employment displacement, data hegemony, access to technology, human vs machine merit, and biases in AI systems. In order to maintain fairness in the digital era and redefine merit, addressing these complications calls for a nuanced strategy.
