Exploring the Hazards of Artificial Intelligence
Throughout history, civilization has seen a rapid rise of technology beginning with the first humans on this planet. We have seen levels of healthcare and communication across all forms improve every day across the world, specifically due to the advancement of Artificial Intelligence systems. It is changing the ways us humans have thrived and overcome some of our toughest challenges. However, with this extremely rapid pace presents the concern and possibility of life-threatening forms of technology. Artificial Intelligence, a crucial aspect of modern life, is frequently underestimated despite its numerous benefits.
Ever since the mid-20th century, engineers have been testing and measuring machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behavior. Now in the 21st century, we have seen a rapid development in Artificial Intelligence systems, specifically with the rise of in-depth learning and neural networks. Mainstream applications across all systems have taken notice and incorporated these extremely intelligent programs into their softwares and systems. It is changing the way organizations and individuals conduct everyday work and duties. Ongoing research and development continue to occur across the nation and globe to discover how far A.I. can take civilization and continue to be an integral part of human life for the foreseeable future. However, as advancements surge and evolve rapidly, they also bring forth potential risks and threats in a world marked by global tensions
Although Artificial Intelligence is a critical part of life, especially in the modern day world we live in at this current moment, the level at which it can rise to can be worrisome. In a world where global tensions are higher than ever before, nuclear technology can be a massive concern and threat to future life. Many nuclear weapons are created from fast-breeder reactors and if these materials are not carefully managed or regulated, nuclear technology could very well spread throughout the world. With the modern day practice and use of A.I., it can certainly be implemented to support nuclear decisions and warfare. This allows for an increase in efficiency and speed of deployed nuclear weapons and the potential for accidents and unauthorized attacks. According to the Arms Control Association, “A.I. capabilities also may give conventional weapons systems dramatic new capabilities to attack nuclear weapons systems, through increased ability to penetrate air defenses; increased ability to detect, track, target, and intercept nuclear missiles; and advanced cyber capabilities, potentially including manipulation of the information ecosystem in which strategic decisions involving nuclear weapons take place”. These A.I. capabilities pose a serious threat to infiltrate nation’s weapons systems and exacerbate any existing global tensions. With the potential for these dangers and any further accidents, it becomes critical to re-examine these possibilities and ensure that the appropriate safety measures of these risks are being taken.
While A.I. presents numerous opportunities and benefits to society, there is a tendency to overlook the genuine potential dangers it poses, particularly regarding data privacy. Since A.I. is programmed to make decisions, the underlying algorithms and data can easily be flawed or even biased leading to undesirable results. These ethical concerns could very well impact society’s trust for privacy and human rights across all levels, which in turn negatively impacts many companies that rely on systems such as these. Another legitimate concern that Artificial Intelligence creates is the potential to replace specific jobs. Certain individuals that work repetitive and manual tasks in their respective fields have the legitimate possibility of being replaced by A.I. systems in the future. While this may be beneficial for many organizations, it will lead to unemployment across many individuals and cause a setback in the economy. According to PewResearch, “about four-in-ten Americans ages 25 and older have a high school diploma with no further education or completed some college but do not have a degree”. With this being the case, nearly half of adults in the nation likely have lower level jobs that also likely include repetitive and manual tasks. If A.I. is capable of going out and completing these roles at a quicker and more efficient pace, there would certainly be reason for employers to terminate many jobs and replace them with a cost-effective solution in A.I.. If this possibility becomes an actual reality then nations and quite possibly the whole world, could see rises in unemployment and economic disruption.
Another aspect of A.I. that we need to re-examine is the security and privacy issues that it is capable of creating. With the emergence of many skilled hackers and cyberattacks, the vulnerabilities of A.I. security systems can be exploited leading to widespread attacks and damage. If this becomes the case, there will be a significant loss in trust among those security systems and even worse, damage to certain individuals’ reputations and portfolios. According to CyberSecurityNews.com, “there were more than 9 vulnerabilities detected this month. The most crucial ones were a Validation Bypass, Arbitrary File Overwrite via Malicious Source URL, and Local file inclusion”. These tools exist to store and track models to prevent attackers from overwriting to obtain confidential data. However, since these tools, such as MLFlow, are being exploited for their vulnerability, attackers can obtain such information and sensitive file contents become no longer protected. If this becomes the case, many organizations may face large amounts of financial loss and even situations where they are facing legal consequences for themselves and the company as a whole. This would certainly lead to a downturn in success and the potential for an organization to lose its customer base and the ability to survive as a company.
This is a massive concern on all levels and poses the question if A.I. systems can be trusted to prevent these cyberattacks from occurring.
Another aspect that is critical to re-examine with the emergence of Artificial Intelligence systems is the erosion of human skill. Job displacement being a possibility is a significant concern but so is the level of human skill. If A.I. is able to carry out repetitive and manual tasks, there wouldn’t be any reason why humans would not use it in their everyday lives to efficiently perform tasks and save money and time. While there are many benefits of this being the case, one thing it has the potential to do is hinder any student development at the educational level. In a study conducted by Springer Nature, university professors from Pakistan and Korea concluded that Artificial Intelligence has a direct impact on students’ decision making and laziness. “Most firms and countries invest in capturing and growing A.I. technologies, skills, and education. Yet the primary concern of A.I. adoption is that it complicates the role of A.I. in sustainable value creation and minimizes human control. When the usage and dependency of A.I. are increased, this will automatically limit the human brain’s thinking capacity. This, as a result, rapidly decreases the thinking capacity of humans. This removes intelligence capacities from humans and makes them more artificial. In addition, so much interaction with technology has pushed us to think like algorithms without understanding”. Although many nations and organizations envision a benefit in their investment for A.I., they are missing the potential effects it carries with it. With the emergence of ChatGPT and other large language models, students are relying on these highly intelligent systems to generate their thoughts and personal work. While this may be seen as useful to these students, this can easily become overly used and hinder any sort of development at their respective level. It has the potential to diminish critical thinking and problem solving abilities that humans need to grow to become sophisticated individuals.
The exploration of Artificial Intelligence has revealed a series of potential threats and dangers that cannot be ignored. From concerns about data privacy breaches to the risks associated with nuclear technology, and the potential for widespread unemployment, the threats posed by AI cannot be underestimated. As we push the boundaries of technology, it’s crucial to proceed with caution and foresight. We must not let the promise of progress blind us to the serious consequences that could very well arise. Therefore, let this serve as a sobering reminder: the path forward in AI development must be tread with caution, with a commitment to safeguarding the well-being of humanity at its core.
Works Cited:
Johnson, James. (2023, May 24). AI and the Bomb: Nuclear Strategy and Risk in the Digital Age. Arms Control Association. Retrieved from https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2023-12/book-reviews/ai-bomb-nuclear-strategy-risk-digital-age#:~:text=AI%20capabilities%20also%20may%20give,cybercapabilities%2C%20potentially%20including%20manipulation%20of.
Schaeffer, Katherine. (2022, April 12). 10 Facts About Today’s College Graduates. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/04/12/10-facts-about-todays-college-graduates/#:~:text=About%20four%2Din%2Dten%20Americans,to%20the%20Current%20Population%20Survey.
KS, Gurubaran. (2024, January 23). Critical AI Security Flaws Let Attackers Bypass Detection & Execute Remote Control. Cyber Security News. Retrieved from https://cybersecuritynews.com/critical-ai-security-flaws/.
Ahmad, Sayed Fayaz. Han, Heesup (2023, June 9). Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Human Loss in Decision Making, Laziness and Safety in Education. Springer Nature. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-023-01787-8.
