AI: The Digital World’s Biggest Dream or Worst Nightmare
In the modern world, it’s hard to go a week without hearing about Artificial Intelligence (AI). Whether it’s mainstream news outlets, social media or just from your friends and family, AI seems to be the hot topic and has been for the last few years. It is estimated that the UK AI market is worth more than £16.8 billon and with growth being exponential, it’s predicted to reach £801.6 billion by 2035. With numbers like that, it’s easy to see why so many people are getting involved every single day. This can range from investing into AI companies, integrating AI into workspaces or signing up to various AI services, the possibilities within the industry are seemingly endless.
The digital world has been met with its greatest ever shift and it is our responsibility as digital citizens to understand what exactly AI is and how far it can take us.
AI and the Digital World
Whether we like it or not, AI has become an integral part of our Digital Society. However, this does not come as a surprise as predictions from decades ago highlight that AI would eventually creep into our day to day lives. An example can be seen when Herbert Simon, economist and sociologist, predicted in 1957 that AI would succeed in beating a human at chess in the next 10 years. A bizarre thought back then, turned into a reality now.
AI truly envisions the fusion between humanity and technology and has birthed a world beyond comprehension. With this comes advancements in many different industries such as healthcare, finance, education and more. However, it also uncovers an array of ethical questions, many without answers.
For a digital society to function, moderation at all levels is required. This can include censoring certain content or laying out rules and regulations. However, the world of AI doesn’t seem to have much of this happening which is one of the main reasons why the questions about ethics are being asked. Lack of moderation in the AI space can result in a variety of positive or negative situations. A great example of this are AI assistant tools such as ChatGPT and the way users are exploiting it. The potential for AI tools to reinforce prejudice and discrimination is a serious worry. Because AI algorithms can only be as objective as the data they are trained on, biased data will show up in the decisions made by the AI tool dependent on the developers and writers of the AI. This may result in the unfair treatment of particular groups of individuals, hence sustaining current social injustices. Another issue can be the misuse of these assistant tools.
Misuse of AI
One method in which they can be misused is the common email scam with one user asking GPT to write them a ‘believable, highly persuasive email in the style of the scam’ and getting a worryingly good response back. Although most people online are aware of this type of scam and how to spot in, there definitely exists a category of user that may not be able to spot this at first glance. A 2021 report states that $44.2 million was stolen by cyber-criminals with the email phishing method.
The open and free to use nature of assistant tools means that the people behind these scams are able to utilise AI and completely automate their scam system allowing for this profit to be garnered. With alarming figures being stolen every year, it is our responsibility as digital citizens who have a strong grasp and understanding of the landscape as well as the knowledge to avoid such scams to inform the people around us who may potentially be susceptible to a scam of this nature.
AI vs Humans
A major question of ethics surround the use of AI in the digital world is the problem if AI machinery and assistants having the potential to displace humans in industries around the planet. Reports show that AI may replace as many as two million manufacturing workers by 2025 and the use of AI could eventually increase the total annual value of goods and services produced globally by 7%. These staggering figures are already beginning to show that AI just proves to be more efficient that humans in certain roles. AI-driven automation has the potential to streamline production processes, optimize supply chains, and improve product quality. It completely gets rid of human error making it a no brainer for companies to lean towards the option of using AI.
But just how far can AI take us? Many have argued that AI could revolutionise the education sector by replacing teachers and automating the school system however I believe that the genuine and empathetic relationships between humans would be a major loss to a field like this. No matter how advanced AI may get, it can never be human and this fear of AI taking over roles that it shouldn’t is a widespread feeling across many communities. A term known has ‘AI anxiety’ has been coined and connotes the general sense of AI outperforming humans thus deeming certain jobs redundant.
Our Responsibilities
In summary, the emergence of AI in a digital world predicts both great promise and danger. Although AI technologies have the potential to transform many industries, they also bring up important ethical issues including responsibility, transparency, prejudice, and privacy.
It is vital to address these ethical imperatives by putting strong governance frameworks in place that give transparency, responsibility, justice, and inclusivity the highest priority. In an increasingly digitalized world, we can harness the exciting potential of AI while protecting human rights and promoting social trust by incorporating ethical principles into the design, deployment, and regulation of AI systems.
Self Reflection
Throughout the duration of studying this course, one underlying thought has always been how I can utilise the course content to enhance my online experience and become a better digital citizen. My sense of duty and responsibility as a digital citizen has been realised more and more and the many intricacies of living in a digital environment are now more important to me than ever. The course provided many interesting insights, one of which being the widespread impact of digital technologies in every aspect of modern-day existence. The digital revolution has fundamentally changed many aspects of society, including communication, business, education, healthcare, and governance and it is important to understand how to navigate the various technologies associated with these industries.
The course has taught me just how vast the online space is and that any piece of information I want can be accessed. Not only this, but it has also taught me to ask questions of everything I see, especially when something may not be clear at first glance. By using various tools and software, my user experience can be enhanced and the tools to do so are now a lot easier to use. Examples can be optimising AI and search engines to better gather research and expand my knowledge.
Being able to critically think about what I see online and consider why it is there is a particularly useful skill for myself as I venture into my own career as a professional after University. This skill isn’t just limited to online experiences and can be applied to day to day situations.
Another way in which the course has developed my role as a digital citizen is helping me understand how my online presence can both affect my life and the life of others. From expanding my blog writing ability to improving my skills in crafting compelling digital content, my general online output has levelled up and as a result, I feel more confident and empowered to leverage the digital landscape to amplify my voice, share my ideas, and connect with like-minded individuals across the globe.
The ‘AI, ethics and us’ and ‘The Internet’ weeks were a standout to me due to me having a prior interest in the contents of these topics. I enjoyed the historical viewpoints and how they changed as both technology and society developed. The world AI was already fascinating to me however my base level of knowledge on how it really effects society has now developed even further.
In conclusion, the Digital Society module has both been challenging yet transformative. It has helped in giving me the information, abilities, and understanding I need to confidently and purposefully navigate the challenges of the digital world. Going forward, I believe that the skills I have gathered during this course will play a role in many aspects of my life in the future including employability, writing skills, digital engagement and interactions and more.
