ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE – TWO SIDES OF THE COIN

Daniela Kotrčová
This article is not generated by AI 😉

Ten years ago, we did not even imagine that robots could do creative work, and now we can see multiple works of art made by AI. Does it mean that in another ten years we will be able to attend concerts where AI sings and dances? Is it possible that instead of our favourite athlete, we will support robots?
In this article, we will see how AI influences and will probably continue to influence our lives. We will consult its positive and negative aspects, cases of AI misuse and professions that are (or are not) in danger of disappearing.

What is AI and what is it good for?
Artificial intelligence describes a branch of computer science whose function is to create intelligent machines that can work and react like humans. Meanwhile, it saves us time, educates us, and frees us from boring tasks.
AI is quicker and more accurate at data analysis or fraud prediction than people. AI robots can replace humans in high-risk situations such as space travel to Mars, defusing a bomb, or exploring the deepest parts of oceans. They are able to work continuously without being tired. AI also makes people immortal in their creation. Software called Dall-ET can draw an image in the style of Exupéry, and ChatGPT can produce a text resembling the style of the poet Allen Ginsberg. If you have heard that without bees there is no life on this planet, AI may save us. The Israeli company Arugga AI Farming has developed pollination robots that even have various advantages over bees: extreme temperatures do not bother them, and they cannot spread disease. Of course, these are just a few examples. There are many more.

What are its disadvantages?
Besides the classic arguments claiming it makes humans lazy, obsessed and distanced from the real world, and the fact that the machine’s creation, maintenance and eventual repair are expensive, here are some less conspicuous threats.
As I mentioned, ChatGPT generates human-like answers. You are not good at math, or you don’t like writing essays? Yes, this software could do your homework for you. It is not even plagiarism because it creates a new text constructed from various sources. Does it sound good to you? Well, what about your critical thinking and situations when you need to pass a test in class? Besides, teachers are aware of it. It is a hot topic in the United States, where they are already looking for ways to prevent it. Surprisingly, some people say it could be beneficial for students with special needs because it could complete the skills they have not yet acquired.
It also allows cybercriminals to create phishing emails in order to steal user data, passwords or credit card numbers. Also, just as hackers can form viruses, someone could get AI able to replicate itself. Even Hawking feared the concept called “The Singularity”, which states that AI can become equally or more intelligent than people, so we could really live as though we were in the Matrix.
The current problem is that organizations tend to replace the lowest qualified people with AI robots, as they can do similar work more efficiently and faster.

Professions at highest risk

  1. Graphic Designing
    AI-powered tools can autonomously create attractive designs, various images in few seconds, analyse user preferences, brand guidelines, and design trends.
  2. Human writers, editors, and proofreaders
    AI writing tools are endowed with automated content generators and language translation software that allow them to produce articles, blog posts and even books at remarkable speed. Its content can be highly informative and well-structured.
  3. Accounts & Bookkeeping
    AI can quickly and accurately enter data and analyse numbers with no errors.
  4. Drivers
    Self-driving cars would reduce accidents because AI is never sleepy, drunk or disconcerted.
    However, Steven Miller, a former professor of information systems at Singapore Management University, believes that the number of jobs created by new types of merchandise and services should exceed the number of professions that will no longer exist.

Professions out of risk (for now)

  1. Reliable research
    Robots are very good at exploring published content and emitting the main ideas quickly, but they are not always reliable because the algorithm is not able to distinguish between a well-researched source and a questionable one.
  2. Appropriate content
    Although there have been attempts to include safeguards in OpenAI to prevent inappropriate or offensive comments, AI can produce, and has already produced, sexist, racist and otherwise insulting material. It even has trouble recognizing people with darker skin.
  3. Quality entertainment
    Everything that AI can do is based on logic, structure and patterns, but humour consists of emotions, experiences and authenticity. AI cannot differentiate between what is appropriate and what could offend someone, and it is not able to predict people’s reactions.
  4. Innovation
    Every company needs new, fresh ideas, and robots are not creative enough to come up with original trends because they can only work with existing information.
    It is evident that, whether we like it or not, AI is already part of our lives. There are some aspects of it we can benefit from, others that we should watch out for, and some that we might laugh at… During the pandemic, a Scottish football team wanted to broadcast a match using an automatic camera system, which recorded not the movement of the ball but the referee’s bald head…

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