AI or Human Expert: Who Is Better to Trust Online?

The AI dilemma has been ramping up day after day, with questions about whether it’ll replace human artists, ruin careers, or even take over the world. While many of us are hesitant about its trajectory, we also continue to let AI into our lives because of its outstanding benefits. We trust AI to handle everything from our taxes to recommending what to watch on streaming platforms like HBO. It’s been especially useful to help us make quick, data-backed decisions that would otherwise take humans hours, days, or even weeks to figure out.

From another standpoint, there’s scepticism about how trustworthy AI even is. Is AI dependable and advanced enough to replace the minds and opinions of a real-life human being? 

Humans vs AI

If we were to discuss the many controversies of AI in the past few years, we’d be here for hours. While there’s lots to say about the limitations of human thinking, AI has already reared its ugly head in several ways. As just one example, we’ve seen its inability to relay accurate and up-to-date information and adapt outside of its training data.

An interesting fact is that AI is designed to simulate human intelligence, which in itself indicates that human knowledge has a distinctive depth. If AI is modelled on the human mind, that could tell us that AI is still inferior in certain ways. Just like AI is trained on certain datasets, you could also argue that humans are trained on their own lifetime of experiences and learning. But the difference is that people are able to think outside the box, grasp context and nuances, handle ambiguity, and draw on flexible thinking—areas where AI falls short.

Where AI Has a Leg Up Over Human Experts

AI isn’t all bad, of course, given that it has a one-of-a-kind ability to provide quick-fire answers based on an incredible volume of data. Especially if we’re in a time crunch, AI can give us the immediacy we need. Chatbot responses typically only take seconds to form, and while humans need their beauty sleep, AI is up 24/7. AI systems also come with greater consistency and a lack of biases—areas where humans fall short. They can also continue to learn as they become programmed on more and more datasets, improving their performance and reducing their error rates.

The Value of Human Expertise

There are a number of aspects that make human expertise much more trustworthy. In fields that require a personal touch and emotional intelligence, like healthcare and customer service, AI often can’t match up. For instance, AI has the upper hand in analysing a patient’s medical history for treatment recommendations. Still, it won’t be able to navigate conversations relating to true emotional support and empathy or address human emotions like fear and anxiety in a meaningful way. AI systems usually don’t have a deep understanding of the subtleties of a question or situation, which is why, depending on the scenario, they might not provide effective outcomes. And that’s why human expertise will never be entirely replicated in circumstances involving moral decision-making and compassion—AI can’t be programmed to genuinely emulate these qualities.

For example, scouring through the top UK casinos recommended by experts who aren’t AI will capture much more valuable insights. These seasoned casino reviewers have a strong foundational understanding of the industry, a relatively new one at that, to apply to these recommendations. They don’t just compile a list based on quantitative statistics like how many people use the apps or whether they offer bonuses and promotions. Rather, they’ve personally tested areas like customer service, the game environment, and other subjective factors that go beyond raw data.

AI vs. Human Biases

However, the reality is that both human beings and AI algorithms have biases, which is why the smartest approach is to employ both to address their limitations. 

Humans inherently have cognitive biases that can naturally skew information to align with their beliefs and perceptions. At the same time, we may have limited experience and knowledge within certain spheres, leading to narrower perspectives. And something that affects everything from how we interpret information and make decisions is emotion—a factor that can become either an advantage or a disadvantage of AI.

AI’s biases are a lot more like data biases that you’d consider in a scientific study, for example. That’s because their decision-making processes and makeup have everything to do with datasets, those of which can feature inaccuracies, bad samples, or even gaps in information. These imperfections are amplified in outputs because the AI may simply go ahead and reinforce those bad habits and patterns. 

Arguably, the biggest flaw of AI is its inability to understand context. If we take the example of applicant tracking systems (ATS), AI might be good at filtering through job applications by identifying keywords and skills, but it’ll overlook things like personality fit, soft skills, and other nuances that make someone more qualified. Hence, there is a need for a second line of defence: a human recruiter.

When to Trust AI or Human Experts

If you don’t have the time to combine the expertise of both, the rule of thumb is to employ AI in situations that hinge on quantitative information. AI can also manage a larger volume of requests at a faster rate. When concepts become much more complicated and involve aspects like subjectivity, human emotion, and morality, it’s a better idea to stick to human experts. These experts will be able to provide highly contextual and personalized solutions, which is what you’ll likely need.