The name Artificial Intelligence remains shrouded in mystery. It is neither particularly "artificial" nor truly "intelligent"; it is still software—though now capable of learning from data, hence the term "Machine Learning" (ML or AI). With data, the software recognizes and builds patterns; without data, AI is still powerless. In the case of translating the Karennic language, AI cannot yet translate between major languages like English to any Karen scripts due to a lack of sufficient training data.

In 2024, John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton, the godfathers of AI, were honored with the Nobel Prize in Physics for their foundational work in neural networks, bringing AI’s transformative power into sharper focus. 

AI has raised as many questions as it has provided solutions. It has stirred philosophical debates—such as who holds responsibility when a machine makes independent decisions. Gratitude and accountability become complex. When dining in a restaurant where a robot serves you, whom do you thank? The engineers who programmed and built it? Whom do you tip? Could a software or hardware malfunction spilling a hot pot on a customer? Is this progress to be feared or embraced?

When software can drive more safely than humans, as cars in newer models equipped with advanced safety features, what becomes of the driver's license test? Our generation starts riding in cars that can drive themselves, but our children will only know cars that do. These vehicles will eventually know where we want to go, learning from our patterns of movement and preferences. They already start knowing.

One way to think of AI is as a personal guardian, tapping on your shoulder to help you avoid embarrassment or injury. Previously, software was thought to be capable of syntactic understanding but now advanced to semantic understanding, generating insights at speeds far beyond human capability. Also, AI can be seen as a vehicle that amplifies productivity, taking one further on tedious tasks and working fast and tirelessly on behalf of its user. AI has helped humans crunch data to find Covid-19 vaccine in one year, the task of a decade long quest. 

Like machines can travel autonomously, missiles now feature intelligent guidance systems, and soon, weapons themselves will possess advanced intelligence. Control centers may eventually rely on a network of AI software. Humans could become powerless if software takes full control. 

Betting our lives on software may seem peculiar, yet it has become a routine part of modern existence. Autopilot systems control our planes and cars, while hospitals, energy grids, and financial institutions all depend on algorithms. As software increasingly takes on decision-making roles without conscious intent, the human obligation for careful, deliberate oversight becomes essential. Software cannot run loose in the wild.

Intelligent yet satient human beings still need to monitor, control, and validate generative AI outputs. Machines may act intelligent, but machines are still machines. Machine could cut you in half and it won’t feel a gag. 

Now, with large language models drawing from global data sets of trillions, software can outperform humans in many areas. Machines do not tire like humans, who are bound by flesh and blood and metabolism. Yet there persist challenges in AI capturing the subtle nuances of idiomatic expressions.

Data is so valuable that NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang remarked, "A country’s data becomes its natural resources." China exemplifies this; with its massive population and structured data systems, it has gained a competitive edge in AI, leveraging it for commerce, government administration, security, finance, and manufacturing.

Advancement of AI is unstoppable, which raises essential questions for Kawthoolei how to harness this new power. First, Kawthoolei will have to start from a blank slate, as with everything else. The nation needs structured and organized data to be usable in training models. Even our naming conventions, spelling, accents, and tones must be standardized. Our locations and place names must also be consistent. If we hope to use AI in infrastructure, our roads must meet engineering standards and precise geolocation. We need to lay the groundwork for success in agriculture, administration, and commerce.

Those who control machines will wield power, while those who lack control may come to fear. AI can make independent decisions within a limited framework, but Artificial General Intelligence(AGI)—capable of multi-tasking and self-teaching through a series of decisions across various contexts—remains on the horizon that to be feared. Machines cannot surpass human morality when they learn from humans. They absorb human data and mimic behavior, sometimes displaying wisdom, yet at other times reflecting human folly.

Most software today is embedded with AI. Our social media, searches, views, politics, networks, intellectual content, purchasing habits, and even our thinking are already shaped by AI algorithms. Humans often think they are in control but under control. If humans find pleasure in sensation, AI will deepen that immersion. If humans seek intellect, AI will provide material that elevates them toward higher ground. Machines grind on, as always, without remorse or empathy. Remaining detached offers no protection either. Is doom or bloom, the road to be taken. 

To embrace technological progress, we do not need to start from scratch; we can stand on the shoulders of many giants whose work has paved the way. Many open-source software programs are freely available, and numerous models can be trained. Generational energy and institution funding flow into AI development, and the energy of our youth must match and excel in this field to be competitive. Entry barriers are low in terms of knowledge access and available tools, a blessing in this age of software propagation.

The future is one of human-machine collaboration—a partnership that has always characterized technological progress. Those who harness this collaboration will thrive, while those left behind will, as always, fall victim to the progress of others. This time, however, we have access to the transformative power of technology; it is up to us to start learning, experimenting, and making the most of this progress to shape our nation’s future.