We’ve all heard about AI in the media, with some articles painting it in a better light than others. With headlines such as; Civilisation Altering Impact alongside AI spots its first Supernova, and AI can diagnose cancer earlier, forming an informed opinion about AI one way or the other has proved tricky.
AI definitely has a place in today’s society, and if used correctly and in a positive manner, then the benefits out-weigh the negatives. But what good has come of AI so far, and what AI innovations will help to improve the world in the future?
The Good
From a personal standpoint, the potential good that could come from AI will have a huge impact on the world as we know it, but whether these significant changes will come to fruition within our lifetimes is still up for debate. With the speed of technological advancements we are likely to see some changes in our day to day lives, but having an AI robot helping us around the house is still a long way off.
There are, however, some clinical trials in the UK using AI, including breast and bowel cancer screening. With the hope it will help to diagnose cancer earlier, by picking up any abnormalities in scans that could easily be missed by a human. As well as using AI to analyse large quantities medical results far quicker, picking up patterns which will result in earlier diagnosis of illnesses, which can be treated sooner and reducing the need to more invasive and expensive treatments. Saving people’s lives, and improving survival rates of otherwise potential terminal illnesses.
As a content creator, of both a personal and business blog, as well as marketing content for social media posts, having ChatGPT as a sounding board for ideas, and using it to analyse content I have written, has proved useful. I have found that having unbiased feedback is important when creating content, although I don’t always take it on board when its suggestions take away the personality of my writing style. Regular readers of an author’s content can easily tell the difference between genuine content and that which has been created by AI.
When used correctly AI can be a fantastic tool, helping to explore ideas and answer questions in a way that a search engine is unable to. Of course the more you put it, the more you will get out, so being more specific with the questions and information entered will give you a fuller answer. The next time you want to Google a question, consider asking AI as well and compare the resulting answers. With AI you can have a conversation and explore the subject further, asking questions about the answers given. Remember, AI is constantly learning from the information that users input, as well as learning from the internet. Although AI is relatively new in the public domain, it does rely on us to learn and develop.
The Bad
With all technological advancements there will always be a downside, and AI is no different. The potential for AI to be misused is a problem that is far from easy to overcome or prevent. There are already News websites with AI created articles, although these can be generated without bias, they can be rather clinical, ideal if it is just plain information that the website wants to impart, but articles that lack the personality of the writer can be un-engaging and bland.
Technological advancements are often exploited by scammers, and AI is no different. Scammers are now using AI to converse with potential victims, making the scam all the more believable. Although this is something that can’t be prevented, we can educate people to be aware of scammers tactics, preventing them from being successful.
The education sector has its own set of issues in relation to AI, which is something that will need to be constantly reviewed to overcome. One of the concerns is that students will use AI to write assignments and essays, as content created when using AI is unique, and will pass current plagiarism checks made by teachers. Plagiarism checks for AI content do exist, but they aren’t 100% accurate, and will need to be constantly developed to keep up with changes with AI. Although teachers have the advantage of being familiar with individual students’ writing styles, even that isn’t infallible.
The Indifference
Although the advancements of AI will have a profound effect on life as we currently know it, there will be somethings it won’t be able to do, no matter how much it develops and learns from us. It will never be able to experience life as we do, the smell of summer rain and fresh cut grass, the feeling of a frosty morning on your skin, or the warm sun on a Spring day. AI will never experience true emotions, no matter how hard we try to program it to.
If AI does truly take over from the human race, it will likely be a bland existence, with no personality, emotion or feeling. We are safe, but we still need to be wary of the good and bad that can come of AI. Remember you can’t believe everything you read or see!
AI Images & Videos
AI isn’t just limited to the written word, and if you are a frequent user of social media, Facebook and Instagram in particular, you may have seen AI generated images without even realising it.
The more descriptive the request, the more detailed the image that is generated will be. With some images resembling a photograph, rather than a traditional computer generated graphic, it is understandable why some people believe it is a genuine photograph.
It isn’t limited to still images, AI generated videos are also being generated, some of which contain misleading content. Especially when people are used to believing what they see, and now that just isn’t the case anymore.
In conclusion, AI should not be feared, but should be used with caution and respect! Remember, not only can you no longer believe everything you read, you can’t believe everything you see or hear either!
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