Living in an Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is an area of computer science that deals with the possibility of making intelligent machines whereby they can perform, learn from experience and adapt to new inputs like a human (Techopedia, 2018). Computers with artificial intelligence can recognize speech, can do planning and problem solving, performing tasks by processing huge number of data including language processing and deep learning. In today’s modern society, training computers to carry out tasks that is highly based on examples instead of depending on human skills is very prevalent and is progressing rapidly. Some people question whether Artificial Intelligence will ever be successful in the future and other asserts that AI could be beneficial. In that sense, what could be the positive and negative effects of living in an artificial intelligence?
Nowadays, Artificial Intelligence has empowered gadgets from smartphones to self-driving cars (Algorithmia, 2016). Undeniably, I always believe that some of the huge companies heavily investing on Artificial Intelligence are changing the lives of the people. For me, there is certainly no question that AI has the huge capacity to help. One of AI’s positive impact is on the medical field since its significant use is to enhance medical diagnosis. Jillian Richardson of IQ Intel, highlights the prominent example regarding the significant use of AI in the medical field. For instance, the Infervision- one of the artificial intelligence company in Beijing, AI is being utilized to enhance the reading of x-rays and CT scans. Richardson (2017) emphasises that these innovations were highly used in most of the hospitals in China since it can determine problematic nodules and lesions in lung cancer patients. As a result, this provides treatments much earlier than usual and it enables doctors to give the patients the diagnosis beforehand. Another positive impact of AI would be on food production. Moreover, since there is rapid growth in population, there is also a huge demand in resources specifically in agricultural productivity. In this matter, AI can be useful to farmers and for human survival. For instance, an application called Farmlog. This application uses data and technology to assist farmers in monitoring their fields. As a result, farmers can keep an eye to the weather forecast and it also helped them increase their profits and crop production. (Richardson, 2017)
On the other hand, we cannot deny the fact that living in an artificial intelligence brings with it its negative impact not just to the people but to the society as well. One of the most prominent threat of AI is that its possibility to lead large-scale unemployment. I have read a research from McKinsey Global Institute and it highlights that by the year 2030, machines and robots might exclude as much 30 percent of the human labor in the world. As a result, people might tend to become lazy and lose the power of their ingenuity. It might also lead to mass destruction and the fear of robots and intelligent machines overpower humans. Singh (2016) on his article about technologies, asserted that people are becoming more and more a slave of technologies taking into account that people are always busy with smartphones, laptops or any other intelligent innovations.
As a conclusion, Artificial Intelligence always surprises us with new and modern ideas and innovations. Incontestably, AI has high understanding of the nature of intelligence, supply a better application in a narrow variety of area and it also enhance the interpretation of human reasoning. On the whole, it is undeniably useful almost in every aspect of the society. However, we must be very careful on how to use it and not to the point that artificial intelligent machines will be the one to manipulate us. I believe people should pay more attention on this topic and always be prepared on dealing on its risk and possible effects as early as possible.
References:
Richardson, J. (2017). Three Ways Artificial Intelligence Good in the Society. Retrived from https://iq.intel.com/artificial-intelligence-is-good-for-society/
Future of Life Institute: Benefits & Risks of Artificial Intelligence., Retrieved from https://futureoflife.org/background/benefits-risks-of-artificial-intelligence/?cn-reloaded=1
McClelland, C. (2018). The Impact of Artificial Intelligence — Widespread Job Losses. Retrieved from https://www.iotforall.com/impact-of-artificial-intelligence-job-losses/
Techopedia (2018)., Artificial Intelligence (AI). Retrieved from https://www.techopedia.com/definition/190/artificial-intelligence-ai
Algorithmia (2016)., Emergent // Future Weekly: Preparing for Our AI Future, Smarter Smartphones, Self-Driving Cars. Retrieved from https://blog.algorithmia.com/emergent-future-weekly-preparing-future-ai-adding-smarts-smartphones-self-driving-cars/
Singh, P. (2016)., Technology has made life easy, but it has made us lazy. The News Now. Retrieved from http://www.thenewsnow.co.in/newsdet.aspx?q=10853