2050

Dr Kevin is a distinguished doctor who loves his job and sticks to the old ways of medicine and worships the good morals of the noble mission of medicine. He comes from an honorable medical family that has offered many doctors to their community. For him medicine is more than a job, it is a creed with its own rituals, a culture where he grew up and whose basics settled in his subconscious mind at an early age. Dr Kevin received a strict and conservative upbringing among his family.

Dr Kevin still follows the old methods to diagnose the cases and listens to his patients, while most doctors rely on robots to detect the troubles of their patients and prescribe the suitable treatment. Artificial intelligence has invaded every detail in the human way of living. However, Dr Kevin remains careful and doesn’t fully trust technology despite its tremendous breakthroughs.

Dr Kevin has been working for years on some study about the quality of cases he receives and the new illnesses in order to approach the evolution of sicknesses and their symptoms. Until now the outcomes of his work are alarming and appalling and call for some deep reflection. Some cases have left a terrifying impact on him.

While receiving a patient in his office, Dr Kevin asks, ‘What are you suffering from, Sir?’

The 40 year old patient answers, ‘I work a lot but I don’t feel physically tired and I get bored quickly. I feel lazy and useless. My schedule is so hectic that I am not able to manage my time well. I eat without appetite or taste. I just try to satisfy my basic biological needs without getting any pleasure or enjoyment. I feel complete apathy. It is a kind of dilemma, doctor.’

‘I see. May I ask what kind of job you do?’

‘ I am a computer programmer.’

‘Interesting. From my limited knowledge, I can say that your work is very consuming and creative. It requires some huge mental effort, doesn’t it?’

‘It used to be when programmers used to create conceptions and programmes. Now everything is available. Software is in charge of everything. We just carry out instructions. I am supposed to be a programmer but I am a simple user at heart. I am not a superhero to be among the elite who create that kind of software and it is even unthinkable and unattainable.’

‘I understand. What can you add?’

‘I lost my appetite. I don’t sleep well. I live in constant anxiety. I usually feel agitated and I lack motivation.’

‘To be honest with you. You aren’t suffering from any organic sickness. You are showing some psychological troubles that I don’t find severe. Therefore, I advise you to see a psychiatrist.’

‘Could you recommend any one Sir?’

“Yes. I will send you to a good one.’

‘Thank you.’

The second case is related to a 38 year old woman who has two children and works as a translator. She is suffering from some skin rashes and a sharp ache in the belly.

After listening to her and examining some parts of her body, the doctor asks, ‘When did these rashes first appear?’

‘Almost a week ago.’

‘No fever?’

‘During the first two days, it was not very high.’

‘Do you drink enough water?’

‘I think yes.’

‘Do you sleep well?’

‘Not really?’

‘Do you follow a healthy diet?’

‘I can’t. Like all people. I don’t have a choice. I rarely cook at home and most of the cooking is done by a robot.’

‘Ok. Your medical tests show no abnormal result. Nothing to worry about.’

‘Thank you doctor.’

‘Is your work stressful?’

‘ No. Although I have a lot of work, the software does everything and helps to save time. In fact, I don’t feel satisfied.’

‘Why?’

‘I lost the taste of many things. The relationship between my children isn’t strong. I feel the more they grow the more they pull away from me as their love is fading. I don’t enjoy the feeling of being a true mother. They befriend robots and maybe trust them more than they trust their mother and father. I miss my human relationships with people, I miss the chemical function of emotions. Wherever I go I find robots in front of me. It’s really disgusting.’

‘All what you said is true Madam. There is an urgent need for some humanization of our human relationships. The issue is so complicated that we can’t predict what lies ahead. Who controls the course of events: the human being or Artificial Intelligence?’