Artificial Intelligence
You’ve probably heard about it online, in the news, in your office, and even at home. AI appears to be the way of the future and has been a hot topic lately, especially since the introduction of ChatGPT. Who would have thought a computer program could write book reports, resume cover letters, or even programming scripts! Today, that is all possible through artificial intelligence.
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force, reshaping various aspects of our lives. From autonomous vehicles to voice assistants and personalized recommendations, AI technologies have become deeply integrated into our society. However, as with any powerful tool, AI comes with its own set of risks and benefits. In this article, we will delve into some of the key considerations surrounding AI, exploring both the potential advantages it offers and the potential risks it poses.
As you can imagine, AI is a dual-edged sword. On one hand, you have increased automation and efficiency, enhanced decision-making, research facilitation, and improved safety and security (thanks to its analysis and prediction capabilities). But on the other hand, you have ethical concerns, a lack of accountability, and the threat of dependence. For every task AI can do, there is a person who could be doing the job but isn’t - and for every decision AI makes, there is a human element missing from the process.
Want an example? Take the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs of this blog - can you tell which was written by a human and which was written by AI?
When it comes to AI, there are additional risks to evaluate and contend with as it is a computer program, not a person, providing this information. For example, ChatGPT has limited knowledge of the world and events after 2021 (we’re pretty sure some important stuff has happened in the last two years). And unlike AI, a human has the capacity to discern fact from fiction using comparative research and common sense. The key focus of AI should be the ethical improvement of efficiency: using the tool to facilitate human work, not replace it.
Use AI to HELP write a report, or a cover letter, or determine the proper approach to a problem - but remember that AI is not capable of human thought and therefore cannot provide insight equivalent to an actual human expert (though it seems it often comes quite close). We’re leveraging AI as a tool for improving our efficiency, but not planning for a future free from human oversight.