People can reduce their risk of age-related dementia by doing certain things that benefit their brains instead of Googling, a prominent Canadian academic has said.
Professor Mohamed El-Masry says in a report published by Eurek Alert that simple daily habits such as afternoon naps, memory exercises, and not using smartphones can increase the chances of healthy aging.
In his new book, “IMind: Artificial and Real Intelligence,” he says that the focus has shifted too far away from real intelligence in favor of artificial intelligence.
Instead, Al Masry urges us to nurture our human mind, which – like smartphones – has “hardware”, “software” and “apps” but is many times more powerful, and will last much longer with proper care.
The Egyptian professor, an internationally recognized expert in microchip design and artificial intelligence, was inspired to write the book after his brother-in-law died of Alzheimer’s and others very close to him, including his mother, died of other forms of dementia.
Although he says smart devices are “getting smarter all the time,” he sees nothing coming close to “replicating the capacity, storage, longevity, energy efficiency, or self-healing capabilities of the human brain.”
100 years
He writes that: “The useful life expectancy of current smartphones is about 10 years, while a healthy brain inside a healthy human body can live for 100 years or more.”
“Your mind is the most valuable asset you have, or will ever have,” he said. “Maximize its potential and longevity by taking care of it early in life, keeping it and your body healthy so it can continue to develop.”
“Humans can develop and test their memories deliberately by playing ‘brain games’ or performing daily brain exercises. You can’t use your smartphone’s memory to make it last longer or encourage it to perform at a higher level,” he added.
In his book, the Egyptian professor shares a story about how his grandchildren had to use their smartphone search engine to name the capital of Cuba. The story illustrates how young people have come to rely on AI-powered smartphone apps instead of using their real intelligence.
The book also explains how AI and human intelligence work, and how brain function links mind and memory. It compares the human mind and brain function with smartphones, ChatGPT, and other AI-based systems.
The author argues that current AI cannot match the capabilities of the human brain in terms of speed, accuracy, storage capacity and other functions. The Egyptian professor points out that healthy aging is no less important than climate change, but it attracts less publicity.
Policymakers are called upon to adopt a series of major reforms to promote healthy aging.
The researcher recommends the following to protect memory:
- Nap
- Read a book out loud, using all your senses.
- Adopt a healthy diet
- Do not drink alcohol