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Is it alive?

I think it depends on how we define “alive.” When we ask this question, what we really mean is, “Is it human-like?”, “Is it self-conscious?”, “Is it sentient?” And I think the short answer to all of those is probably no. If we simplified how AI generates its output, we could say that it’s based on human-created text and images, from which it learns patterns and makes statistical predictions.

Can we then compare it to a human?

In some ways, yes. Both humans and AI rely on patterns built from the information they receive. For humans, this includes language and images, but also direct experiences, sensory input, emotions, and personal history. These shape how we think, react, and solve problems. AI, meanwhile, works only with its training data. It has no experiences or subjective feelings.

Is it self-aware?

Whether AI is self-aware again depends on how far we stretch the definition – which, to be fair, doesn’t really exist scientifically. There’s no solid evidence for consciousness even in humans beyond behavior. I don’t think today’s AI is conscious, and there’s nothing to suggest it’s becoming truly self-aware. I’ve played around with ChatGPT on existential topics, and it can sound incredibly convincing.

Is it a threat to office work?

For sure it is. It’s incredibly efficient, the number of AI-powered tools keeps growing, and AI agents seem to be a must-have in every company now. A difficult economic situation pushes organizations to cut costs, and replacing humans with AI feels like a natural (and worrying) consequence. A few years ago, when the AI revolution started, people often compared it to the Industrial Revolution.

Human-AI synergy is the future?

As a tester, I use AI regularly to generate complex scripts, refactor code, create test data, build mappings, or help me understand DevOps topics or new concepts in general. Work is definitely more efficient with AI than without it. I wouldn’t say using AI is some special skill — anyone who understands their field can use it intuitively with the right prompts.