Blog #10 Age of AI

The Age of Artificial Intelligence

It may seem scary to think of a world with artificial intelligence, but to us it may be even scared to know a world without it. Artificial intelligence, AI, has been around longer than we think. Just think about the Amazon Alexayou have in your living room that responds to your every command- how is it doing that? AI uses data and algorithms to act and respond just as a human would; maybe even more effectively. The video we watched highlighted the specific uses of AI where we do not even see it. For example, every search into Google givens Google more information about us. The company uses artificial intelligence to cater their search engine to our needs. Have you ever seen an ad that just happened to be similar to something you had just texted your best friends about? That is AI.

The Pros of Artificial Intelligence

There are many upsides to artificial intelligence. The use of AI has increased the safety, security, and efficiency of our country more than we realize. AI has made the internet a safer place from hackers, keeping our personal information, passwords, etc. more safe- from hackers. There are also ways for AI to be used in dangerous situations where people can not be. Think about the rovers on the moon, the scientists utilize AI to program them with maps and information that they need to be more successful. AI is also very useful in connecting people from around the world. AI translation allows for people to communicate with one another without even having to speak the same language. In terms of efficiency, AI has streamlined the customer service industry. Think about every time you get an automated response when trying to return something online, those chatbots that many major corporations are adapting into their websites. Thats AI!

The Cons of Artificial Intelligence

There are also many cons to artificial intelligence. The main one is the affect AI has on the job market. According to Pew Research Center, about one fifth of workers are at high risk to having their job either replaced or reduced due to AI. Like we talked about before with efficiency, people look for that immediate response that AI can provide and, in most cases, that beats human performance. It seems my Grandma may have had a point when she said “Never use those self checkout things at the market- it is just the robots coming in to take over”; Grammy was right. It also has has a huge effect on work ethic among societies youth. The introduction of Chat GPT into our world has given students an out from producing their own work, they can just ask the AI to generate a response for them and it will. Many schools are coming to see this issue and enacting AI clauses into their code of student conduct. The Nido Qubein School of Communication at High Point University did, check it out here.

If you’re thinking about privacy with AI- I would just stop now. There is no sense of privacy from AI. Cellphones, computers, cameras, home devices, and so many more appliances are always collecting data. From knowing the songs you usually skip to just being able to respond to “Hey Siri!” these devices are always paying attention.

Are you scared of AI, even though its integration into society is inevitable?