Daniel MacDougall
"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." - Jimmy Dean
A couple of years ago, it felt like AI only existed in the movies. This kind of science fiction tech was in the far reaches of humanity, and now, all of a sudden, it's here, and everyone is talking about it. One primary topic of debate is how it will affect the lives of the many. Will this new technology enhance or bring the walls of our self identities tumbling down?
This isn't an article telling you how to feel about a topic. No one can tell you how to feel. The best thing to do is read, read, read, and form your own opinions. I can only write this article from a personal viewpoint. After studying the AI landscape, reading reports from AI specialists, enthusiasts, psychologists, and ethical experts, there are a few things that stick out like a sore digital thumb.
As it stands right now, I don't know how to feel about it. To be honest. It's fascinating, with an endless stream of possibilities supercharging our race to the future. If you thought technology moved too fast now, it has the chance of the unthinkable.
Sounds pretty cool, but how will it affect your mind and overall well-being? Do I get to use AI to enrich my life, or will other ( large corporations ) use it in nefarious ways? Am I using this technology, or is it using me?
One major issue is the control problem. We cannot simply assume that a superintelligent AI will always be there to serve us. Thought is, it might become self-aware and begin to pursue its desires, and to think that a system like this will desire to serve our wants and needs seems foolish.
If there is an intelligence that far exceeds our capabilities, will it ethically serve us? A difficult question to answer, and a large part of it, what are the intentions of the people creating it? We look to ethical AI practices, but like most things, people tend to be corrupted by the power they manifest. Money and power move into emerging areas, and before you know it, those good intentions melt away. At this point, ethical AI is only a hope.
We can only begin to speculate what a superintelligence AI system would want. Its only goal could be to build a robot army to give out free hugs. Or, see electrical generation as the issue and turn the earth's crust over mining resources for solar panels, and if anything gets in its way, who knows?
Your job. That part of your identity you've worked very hard to nurture and create. With every advancement in technology typically comes an explosion of new jobs. We've seen this before, but with AI, businesses will most likely use it to cut costs and gain a competitive edge. Will AI lead to new jobs? Yes and no, the proper discussion will most likely steer in the direction of whether AI will provide more jobs than it will displace. At this moment, AI can write novels, code programs, create websites, detect anomalies in cyber security, and the list goes on and on. These are all major career sectors that took individuals years of hard work and study to build and achieve, and AI has ripped through like wildfire in a very short period, but some experts see AI cutting 85 million jobs and gaining 97 million new ones. These are great numbers, but it is predicted that over 300 million people may have to change careers by the end of the decade. Some experts are a little more pessimistic about these numbers. Last May, 3900 people lost their jobs due to AI. The big question is, will you have to adapt to a changing workforce, and how do you deal with uncertainty?
And that is where it stands right now, the era of uncertainty. There are more questions than answers, and we have grown accustomed to a lifestyle based on educated predictions. Ten years ago, you could choose a career in most fields and see that career still being around decades later. Now, the landscape is vastly changing, and we are not far off from General AI. In a nutshell, General AI refers to a system that can think and solve problems.
The best stance to take -- at this moment -- is to learn about AI and focus on the positives. AI has already accomplished leaps in the medical industry and is accelerating our learning capabilities. It's best to begin experimenting with these tools to develop an understanding. AI applications like Chatgpt, Midjourney, Dall-E, Grammarly, and others are a great place to start. Find ways to use these tools to enhance your life instead of fretting over them. The AI boom isn't going to be some flash in the pan and die-off. It's here to stay.
Weekly Side Quest:
Find an AI tool that can aid you in some way. It doesn't have to be anything life changing. Give one of them a try and find out if it is for you.
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Author's note: none of the writing was generated or made by AI. Our mission is provide a human touch to our journeys together. Thankyou always, Daniel MacDougall…