AI Technology, Is It a Threat or a Blessing?

By AsianMarketCap Official on The Capital

Published in

The Capital

7 min readJul 24, 2020

Everything in excess is dangerous and so is the case with Artificial Intelligence. It is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines, that makes it significant. With the simulation of human intelligence, processes by machines that are especially computer systems include learning the acquisition of information and rules for using it. The reasoning uses rules to reach approximate or definite conclusions and self-correction.

Email Filters to Smart Replies

LinkedIn, Pinterest, Chatbots to Facebook Proactive Detection

Google Predictive Searches to Google’s Algorithm

Product Recommendations, Music Recommendations to Maps and Directions

Mobile Banking, Ride-sharing Apps to Financial Institutions Fraud Prevention everything is functioning smoothly because of AI.

There is no doubt in saying that technology is an essential part of the development and growth of humans. A thin line or mistake leads to disruption or destruction.

Below are the advantages and disadvantages of artificial intelligence in detail:

Advantages of Artificial Intelligence

1. To ‘err’ is human, so why not use AI?

Machine take decisions based on previous data records. With algorithms, the chances of errors are reduced. This is an achievement, as solving complex problems require difficult calculation that can be done without any error. Business organizations use digital assistants to interact with their users, this helps them to save an ample amount of time. The demand for user’s businesses is fulfilled and thus they don’t have to wait. They are programmed to give the best possible assistance to a user.

2. AI doesn’t get tired and wear out easily

Artificial Intelligence and the science of robotics is used in mining and other fuel exploration processes. These complex machines help to explore the ocean floor and overcome human limitations. Due to the programming of the robots, they can perform a more laborious task with extra hard work and with greater responsibility. Moreover, they do not wear out easily.

3. Digital assistance helps in day to day chores

Siri listens to us and performs the task in one tap. GPS helps you to travel the world. How can I forget the basic necessity? Food, clothing, shelter, and smartphone. They are the ones that predict what we are going to type, in short, they know us better than anyone. The best is the auto-correct feature, it understands what you are trying to say and present you the sentence in the best way possible. Have you observed that while you post a picture on social media, you tag people, but the machine automatically detects the person’s face and tags that individuals? Same is when you work on Google Photos. Automatically, a folder is created of the people with the help of their faces. Artificial Intelligence is widely employed by financial institutions and banking institutions because it helps to organize and manage data. Also, detection of fraud uses artificial intelligence in a smart card-based system.

4. Rational decision maker

Logic above all! Highly advanced organizations have digital assistants which help them to interact with the users and save the need for human resources.

Right program decisions can be taken if they are worked upon rationally. But, with humans, emotions come along. When artificial thinkers, there is no distraction at all. They don’t have an emotional side, and that makes robots think logically. Emotions are not associated with them and therefore the mood doesn’t hamper the efficiency. Thus they are always productive.

5. Repetitive jobs

The same old task, a task that doesn’t add value is of no use. Also, repetitive jobs are monotonous in nature and can be carried out with the help of machine intelligence. Machines think faster than humans and can perform various functions at the same time. It can be employed to carry out dangerous tasks and its parameters are adjusted. This is not possible with humans as their speed and time can’t be calculated on the basis of parameters.

6. Medical applications

This is the best thing that artificial intelligence has done to humans. It’s said that time and tide waits for none but, with medical applications of artificial intelligence, a wide scope application is present. Doctors assess patients and their health risks with the help of artificial machine intelligence. The applications help to educate the machine about the side effects of various medicines. Nowadays, medical professionals are trained with artificial surgery simulators. It uses an application which helps in detecting and monitoring neurological disorders and stimulate the brain functions. This also helps in the radiosurgery. Radiosurgery is used in operating tumors and help in the operation without damaging the surrounding tissues.

7. Tireless, selfless and with no breaks

A machine doesn’t require breaks like the way humans do. They are programmed for long hours and can continuously perform without getting bored or distracted. The machine does not get tired, even if it has to work for consecutive hours. This is a major benefit over humans, who need a rest from time to time to be efficient. However, in the case of machines, their efficiency is not affected by any external factor and it does not get in the way of continuous work.

8. Right decision making

The complete absence of emotions from a machine makes it more efficient as they are able to make the right decisions in a short span of time. The best example of this is its usage in healthcare. The integration of AI tools in the healthcare sector has improved the efficiency of treatments by minimizing the risk of false diagnosis.

9. Implementing AI in risky situations

Human safety is taken care of by machines. Safety is vulnerable and with machines that are fitted with predefined algorithms, this can be used. Scientists use complex machines to study the ocean floor where human survival becomes difficult. This is the level of AI. It reaches the place where humans can’t reach. Thus, helps to solve issues in a jiffy.

Disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence

As it is always said, every coin has two sides and so does AI.

1. High cost

It’s true that AI comes with a high cost, but there is no such thing as a free lunch too. It requires huge costs as it is a complex machine. Apart from the installation cost, its repair and maintenance also require huge costs. The software programs need frequent upgrades and cater to the needs of the changing environment.

Also, if there is a breakdown, the cost of procurement is very high. With that, recovery requires a huge time too.

2. No human replication

No matter how smart a machine becomes, it can never replicate a human. Machines are rational but, very inhuman as they don’t possess emotions and moral values. They don’t know what is ethical and what’s legal and because of this, don’t have their own judgment making skills. They do what they are told to do and therefore the judgment of right or wrong is nil for them. If they encounter a situation that is unfamiliar to them then they perform incorrectly or else break down in such situations.

3. No improvement with Experience

Artificial intelligence cannot be improved with experience, they can perform the same function again if no different command is given to them. With time, it can lead to wear and tear. It stores a lot of data but the way it can be accessed and used is very different from human intelligence.

Also, they can’t cope up with the dynamic environment and so they are unable to alter their responses to changing environments. We are constantly bombarded by the question of whether it is really exciting to replace humans with machines.

Artificial intelligence doesn’t have feelings and because of which there is nothing like working with a whole heart or with full passion for them. There is no sense of belonging or togetherness or a human touch. They fail to distinguish between a hardworking individual and an inefficient individual.

4. Creativity is not the key for AI

Machines can’t be creative. They can only do what they are being taught or commanded. Though they help in designing and creating, they can’t match the power of a human brain.

Humans are sensitive and intellectuals and they are very creative too. They can generate ideas, can think out of the box. They see, hear, think, and feel which machine can’t. Their thoughts are guided by the feelings which completely lacks in machines. No matter how much a machine outgrows, it can’t inherent intuitive abilities of the human brain and can’t replicate it.

5. Unemployment

This one is the riskiest and can have severe effects. With capital intensive technologies, human-intensive requirements have decreased in some industries. If in the future, human beings don’t add to their skills, then in no time, we can see that they will be replaced with machines. The major issue of the GDP being stagnant or not growing at the expected rate is unemployment. People don’t possess the required skills that are in demand. There are a huge demand and supply gap because of this.

Summary

All being said, the pros and cons of artificial intelligence being evaluated, it is up to the reader, user, and their perspective. AI and robotics will improve the way we think, the way we explore new horizons, whether space or the ocean. As the age-old saying goes, necessity is the mother of all innovations, so is the case with AI. Human beings know what they need and are getting increasingly better in defining their wants and quickly transforming this into reality. In the near future, things will happen so rapidly that we will see major changes and innovations.