The implications of growing up in a Digital world
The 21st century has witnessed a rapid rise in artificial intelligence (AI), revolutionising industries and daily life. AI systems excel in data analysis, automation and problem solving, transforming sectors like healthcare, finance and transportation across the world. However, ethical concerns arise regarding AI’s impact on employment, privacy and mental health. This blog will discuss the implications of growing up in a digital world facing concern yet coping with the advancements of AI.
Enhanced productivity in various industries
- Healthcare: AI applications in healthcare have revolutionised patient care and operational efficiency. AI algorithms analyse vast amounts of medical data to assist diagnosing diseases, identifying treatment options, and predicting patient outcomes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Northwestern University researchers were using AI to speed up the search for COVID-19 treatments and vaccines. The AI-powered tool made it possible to prioritise resources for the most promising studies — and ignore research that was unlikely to yield benefits. These AI powered tools have lead to faster and more accurate diagnoses, personalised treatment plans and improved patient outcomes.
- Agriculture: AI technologies such as drones and sensors are optimising agriculture practises. The autonomous-farming industry is beginning to boom, with approximately 200 AI-based agricultural startups in the U.S alone. Drones equipped with AI have been seen to monitor crop health, detect pests or diseases, and optimise irrigation patterns, leading to higher crop yields and reduced resource wastage. For example, AppHarvest’s greenhouse in Appalachia, Kentucky, is the biggest AI powered farm in the US. Using artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, the company says it yields 30 times more per acre than open fields, while using 90% less water.
Impact on improving safety across various domains
- Workplace Safety: AI technologies improve workplace safety by monitoring and analysing environmental conditions, equipment performance, and employee behaviour to identify potential hazards and prevent accidents. For example, AI- enabled sensors can detect anomalies in industrial machinery and automatically shut down operations to prevent accidents. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 5,190 fatal work injuries in 2021. Furthermore, there are a great deal more non-fatal mishaps in hazardous situations. The corporate expenses are significant, but the human suffering and loss are needless and preventable. It is obvious that corporations should place a high importance on industrial safety. Therefore, drones and autonomous vehicles can be used to monitor and inspect construction and other hazardous sites, instead of putting employees at risk. Chatbots also exist which are trained on safety procedures and manuals can answer employees’ safety-related questions using natural language processing.
- Public safety and Surveillance: Video analytics powered by AI can monitor public spaces, identifying suspicious activities or individuals and alerting authorities to potential threats. AI driven predictive policing models help law enforcement agencies allocate resources more efficiently to prevent crime and enhance community safety. For example, AI can be very helpful to airport security staff members in assessing passenger lists, doing speedy behaviour/affinity studies, and identifying potential threats before they materialise. This capacity to identify risk can contribute to a more seamless travel experience for passengers and may even shorten wait times in security queues.
Concern over AI
While AI has brought about numerous benefits and advancements, there are also negative aspects to consider:
- Increased anxiety: One significant factor is job insecurity, as automation and AI- driven technologies replace traditional roles, leading to concerns about employment prospects and financial stability for many individuals. In May 2023, 3,900 US job losses were linked directly to AI. This is only expected to rise as, 14% of workers worldwide already claim to have lost a job to ‘robots’. The fear of job displacement can especially be seen to be prevalent in younger generations, with more than half of 18 to 24-year-olds concerned about AI taking their future jobs.
- Digital age of Vulnerability: The proliferation of AI- driven social media platforms and digital interactions can exacerbate feelings of social isolation and inadequacy. 52% of students said social media made them feel less confident about how they look or how interesting their life is. Even if you are aware that the pictures you see on social media are edited, it can still cause you to feel self-conscious about your appearance or your personal circumstances. However, the pressure to curate an idealised online persona and the constant comparison to others can contribute to anxiety and low self-esteem. For example, the more often young teens turn to social media, the more prone they are to developing an eating disorder and this is only expected to rise.
Ethical concerns with AI
- Transparency and accountability: The opacity of many AI systems makes it difficult to understand how decisions are made, which can hinder accountability and trust. There’s a growing need for mechanisms to ensure that AI systems are explainable and who is responsible for their outcome.
- Privacy: AI often relies on vast amounts of personal data, raising questions about consent, data ownership, and potential surveillance. Without robust privacy protections, there is a risk of exploitation and misuse of sensitive information.
Conclusion
In conclusion, AI presents both positive and negative implications. On the positive side, AI in our current digital world has the potential to revolutionise industries, improve efficiency, and enhance quality of life. However, the negative aspects of AI cannot be ignored. Concerns about job displacement, and ethical dilemmas persist. Striking a balance between innovation and ethical considerations is essential to ensure that AI serves the common good and contributes positively to the advancement of humanity.
Reflection
With technology becoming increasingly interconnected within our society, I believed it was vital to educate myself more on the digital world due to the limited knowledge I had before I began this module. I thoroughly enjoyed engaging with this course as it being online made sure that it did not clash with any of my other university modules, leading to me having more time to invest in it. I also highly enjoyed how it taught me many different blog styles, this made sure I was learning something new each assignment which I can now use in my daily life. As well as this, I especially liked how each blog was interactive with contribution boxes, where everyone from the course could write down their ideas giving me various different perspectives on each topic.
Blogging at first was hard for me as I did not have a lot of experience prior to studying this course, however, this course helped me significantly improve, showing me how to correctly reference images and helping me structure my blogs effectively to make them more compelling to the reader. These are skills that I will be able to also use outside of the course in my everyday life.
With the rise of AI over the past few decades, technology is becoming increasingly more important, people are becoming digital citizens without even realising due to the rapid interconnectedness of technology and our world. Therefore, it is more vital than ever to educate citizens about the digital world so that they can, for example, protect themselves from possible dangers such as data leaks. This course helped me a lot with protecting my own online privacy. Before this course, I had very limited knowledge on how important it was to protect my online data, now when downloading a new app on my phone or registering to a website online I make sure to read the terms and conditions of the protection of my online data.
Even though I experimented with AI tools before studying this course, I had never thought about the ethical problems that come along with AI, such as how it has issues with plagiarism as it can only use data that already exists. This challenged my critical thinking with AI, and made me realise that although AI has numerous benefits it also comes with many problems, which are difficult to resolve.
Overall, this course has expanded my knowledge and understanding on how integrated technology has become in our society through various industries. As well as this, learning about this course may help me for possible future job markets, where AI proficiency is increasingly in demand. It has equipped me with valuable knowledge that I will be using in everyday tasks to stay safe in our digital world and use technology effectively.
