The rapid unfolding of the multifaceted tech industry is concerning to many with hardly any area of our lives left untouched or unaffected and a litany of questions left yet unanswered about a situation widely recognized to be rapidly developing on autopilot.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is generally described as “the capability of computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is also a field of research spanning computer science, engineering, and mathematics that develops and studies methods and software enabling machines to perceive their environment and use learning and intelligence to take actions that maximize their chances of achieving defined goals.”
This seemingly intelligent, safe description hardly scratches the surface of what the possibilities and dangers are concerning the rapidly developing AI phenomenon.
First and foremost, let’s be clear about the effects on human development. Artificial intelligence, or the indiscriminate use of its many arms, will encourage limited critical thinking among humans thereby creating generations of individuals dependent on the very machines that they created. At least, that is one argument on the issue. The evidence supporting this perspective can be found in students attempting to traverse their academic years using AI to fuel their success. What is even more astonishing is that educators are reportedly now having to utilize AI to determine whether students have utilized AI to complete assignments.
There are many other concerns that have come to the fore all over the world including inevitable job losses, the likelihood of misinformation and manipulation, and data privacy or privacy generally.
One of the gravest anxieties, however, in the issue of cyber security.
Individuals or entities with ill intent can and have exploited and manipulated AI tools to launch vicious cyberattacks on individuals, organizations and institutions, and governments, by way of scams, hacks, stealing of a person’s identity and compromising national security.
Even with all that, what is scariest is the facts that before too long AI may have a “mind” of its own.
Evan Hubinger, an American AI safety researcher, made headlines with his belief that there is a greater than 10% chance AI “could kill all humans” within the next decade.
He works in alignment, a field which aims to build human ethical ideas and principles into AI – essentially keeping it on track with what humans value.
He has clearly outlined that the risk is low but his comments were serious enough to another researcher who quit Anthropic and warned that those developing the tech were losing their grip on it.
Jacob Coxon, a British technology researcher, in an interview with the BBC, said he and other staff were “genuinely frightened” about the speed of advancements and what it could mean for humanity brought about by companies rapidly attempting to be the first on the market with various AI tools.
There are others who believe that, before long, humans will have little or no control of the AI platform and that those systems will be writing and upgrading their own existence.
But some critics believe machines can never truly match humans. They say AI firms exaggerate the tech’s abilities to boost their prominence or profit.
It cannot be denied that AI has its benefits which includes the ability to fast-track research.
Whatever the case, Artificial Intelligence has turned into nothing short of a pandemic, equipped with the scare of annihilation, misinformation, the ability to transform lives and livelihoods, and a small dose of panic for good measure.
We would do well to pay close attention.