Next time your great-aunt Nellie gives you a tight hug and tells you how you must be the fastest grower she has ever seen, you don’t have to stand there, mumbling and feeling awkward. You could proceed to interest her about the details of the actual fastest growing entity in the world: AI.
NVIDIA, a company whose name you probably know too well by now, is an AI chip manufacturer. It has the largest market capitalisation of over $4.6 trillion; an unfathomable amount. AI is leading not only our social lives but also steering our economy.
Open-AI’s ChatGPT released in November 2022. The technology market was blossoming as it was going through a stage of the Gartner Hype Cycle called the technology trigger. The Gartner Hype Cycle is a philosophical idea that states that technology goes through 5 stages: the technology trigger, the peak of inflated expectation, the trough of disillusionment, the slope of enlightenment and the plateau of productivity. I currently think AI is passing through the second stage, the peak of inflated expectation, as it is being used for all activities. Presentation tools like CANVA and correction tools like Grammarly and Autocorrect are also AI based and used in everyday life. AI is engulfing us without society even realising.
It seems to have dominated every aspect of our industry. It pushes the boundaries in our markets, spots mistakes in vast databases and based on some estimates assists in writing 60% of articles you read (don’t worry, this one is by a human). Journalism especially is a job that demands speed to broadcast situations across the world and often AI can come up with intriguing headlines and stories far quicker than humans.
Even though chatbots like Chat-GPT are considered saviours for students struggling with projects, AI can come with a lot of ethical and environmental issues. These school children will face problems later in life during university applications and other writing tasks where AI is not used. It is impossible to stop all students from using AI in projects or homework, but many schools and educational infrastructures are now using other methods of examinations. Some professors in colleges have been reported to ask students to write an essay for homework where the use of AI is allowed if not encouraged. Then for their examinations, teachers ask students to write an essay arguing against the article which they produced through AI earlier that year. I think this is more relatable to the future as it is not realistic to belive that AI will not merge with our society. However, there are not only educational and societal setbacks but there are also environmental problems. The data storers which handle all the information that AI learns are kept in massive underground caverns filled with water to keep the machines as cool as possible. These machines are processing terabytes of data every second and if the storers are not cooled it could lead to overheating or even the store house catching on fire. Many humanitarians may argue that why should an entity that helps you write one e-mail to your client be deserving of more necessities than a dying child in an arid country.
Overall, AI has had its positives but also it has its own downfalls. It has no moral compass and therefore would do anything you ask it to do. Recently there was a circulating video of Ukrainian president Vladmir Zalensky surrendering to Russia. With the use of AI, it was very realistic, and many members of the public believed this. This caused problems for the press and many soldiers fighting in the war itself.
Even though many have their worries about the use of AI, I belive that it is up to the humans operating that platform to make the right choices. Yes, the video was made by AI, but the idea was originally a human. AI is not the malicious wrongdoer in this example or other headlines you hear in the news. If we think that AI is bad because of the awful stories we hear, humans are worse. Is it AI we truly need to be afraid of or the minority of humans who can produce such horrifying ideas?
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