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May 12, 2023 Editor, The News-Gazette: With all the recent talk about artificial intelligence technology and how it rivals, and might soon surpass, regular human smarts, I suddenly realized that one form of such intelligence has already taken over much of our common sense. Under its influence, we blindly obey commands, ignoring all indications that it – and we – may be making big mistakes.
The GPS (Global Positioning System) that many of us rely on gives firm, confident and detailed driving instructions that usually get us where we want to go.
But GPS is not infallible, and its directions to locations other than major highways and cities seem to be based on road maps that are many decades out of date. If we follow instructions to the letter, ignoring indications that they are wrong, they may get us into trouble.
In one local example, numerous delivery truck drivers, a fellow in a huge camper towing a car, Canadian bicyclists on a guided tour, families looking for an animal park, Sunday afternoon cruisers and countless others insisted on using a two-mile long, dirt farm road – because GPS told them to. They ignored multiple signs saying, “PRIVATE ROAD, NO ENTRY,” PRIVATE ROAD, NO EXIT,” AND PRIVATE ROAD, 13 ½ MPH SPEED LIMIT.” (Really, how many public roads have a 13 ½ mph speed limit?)
The property owners had tried without success to have the GPS designation changed to prevent the trespassing on a road that had been closed to through traffic for 50 years. But drivers were convinced that GPS directions gave them the right to travel wherever they wanted to go, even across clearly marked private property. Only the installation of locked gates (which inconvenience legitimate users of the route) at sites with no easy turn around convinced drivers they had no business on the farm road.
Perhaps it is time for humans to demonstrate that we can still read signs and show common sense when GPS sends us down roads obviously not meant for public use. Surely, we must be smart enough to do that. LOUISE DOOLEY Lexington
