I too, find myself pondering over humanity's eventuality, and I do think that AI will be a big part of us evolving. Whether that is a good thing, as you pointed out, is yet to be seen.
Most of our "great minds" of today are very passionate about their intuition that AI itself could be the downfall of humanity, like Mr. Hawking and Elon Musk. Maybe they feel that way because what if having that sort of intellectual computing power somehow turns off the compassionate side of our human instinct?
It is well known that people who are intellectual are often socially stunted in some way. My daughter was a "gifted & talented (GAT) student" (for those not in the USA, that means smart with high standardized test scores) and her GAT teachers would send home tips to the parents on how to cope with a socially awkward child who is intelligent - sort of as an intervention.
So many questions, most of which will probably not be answered in our lifetimes... but maybe they will. I believe the world is far more technologically advanced than we laypersons know of, and who knows when full disclosure will occur.
And, indeed - Live long and prosper, fellow Steemians! (making Vulcan salute - haha)
I am quite sure that humanity will screw up any benefits before they can be realised due to impatience and yes, AI is likely to destroy us but, I don't see it's destructive power in the same way. AI already is manipulating the feeds an content and turning back the clock on human creativity. Perhaps eventually, intellectually we will come to a standstill where there aren't enough creative minds to drive us forward. When something stops moving, it is dead.
I definitely see your point - and, yes, it is already occurring... especially with the younger generations who simply cannot function without their devices, and they are our future. And lack of creativity equals lack of innovation. Thanks for giving me something of substance to think about over the weekend!