You may have had different visions to how the 2020's were going to play out. My younger self would've been so disappointed- I thought we'd at least have hover boards or flying cars by now?! But if the last few years are anything to go by, we are in for an incredibly exciting future. If you're new to Artificial Intelligence (AI), you may have been introduced to the field by the prominence of ChatGPT, chatbots or even in popular culture (those killer robots that attacked Will Smith might stick in your head?!). In reality, AI has been around for well over fifty years, but only recently (the previous decade) has the concept gained mainstream usage.
There are thousands, but here are just a few ways AI can make our lives better
AI has already been making our lives easier for many years. Tech giants have been able to effectively harness AI to cater online content to our likes/dislikes, answer common questions (via chatbots) and ensure many daily practices are made easier.
From a workplace perspective, Microsoft has already begun capitalising on the power of AI by creating Copilot; a technological admin assistant that will autonomously action meeting notes, create first drafts and utilise data to become more knowledgeable.
AI can also lend a hand with the battle against climate change. When it comes to analysing data and assisting with decisions for the future; AI has the largest dataset to base its predictions on.
The agricultural industry has been able to capitalise on machine intelligence by being able to make improved predictions on weather (including extreme weather patterns), disease detection and better understanding of crop production/supply and yield.
Even from an entertainment perspective, AI can create videos, photos and music. This AI-driven content could be used as the perfect building blocks for artists and musicians to deliver new mediums of art. How we can embrace AI
With AI, we have the opportunity to improve almost every industry, and utilise its powers to tackle real world problems- if done correctly. Rather than stopping the implementation and development of AI completely (as Elon Musk has called for), we could instead take steps towards educating the globe around:
⚠️ Spotting/tackling deepfakes and scams, from both a societal and a governmental perspective, with help from a specially developed authenticity checker (similar to factchecking).
💡 Incentivising the study of AI, and develop pathways into the industry (with employers understanding that there is a significant AI knowledge gap that needs addressing).
✅ How to correctly harness the productivity boosting powers of AI.
These areas alone would put us in a much better position to embrace AI. But with the way in which AI (and the tech-industry) is rapidly changing, we need to ensure we continue to evolve with the changes.
The first step is to improve aging systems and technology to enable them to cope with the increased bandwidth and energy consumption of training/using AI models, especially when considering the growth in usage over time.
The bigger picture
The metaverse may have peaked too early, but that shouldn't spell the end for virtual worlds. As more imaginative AI models are developed, we could see a more realistic virtual world created that will capitalise on crypto and wearable devices. Current key issues surround cyber security risks, which warrant additional research and funding for digital security companies. As mentioned, deepfakes are an area of AI that present a dangerous precedent, especially if in the hands of someone looking to cause harm.
With discussions around personal data use (including image rights), we will start to see more tailored approaches to security, which may begin with the limiting of shared information. It will be interesting to see how these security measures are undertaken (possibly by the government, or a profit-seeking company).
Conclusions
AI is a highly exciting prospect, which shouldn't induce fear (unless you're talking about killer robots, then you might be onto something).
Security is always an important conversation when discussing any new technology, and with AI, there are some key steps to take towards tackling potential risks. Although it seems like we're in the early stages of AI; technology is exponential, which is why we can't waste any time with improving our digital infrastructure.
2023 has the potential to be a ground-breaking year in AI adoption, and now is the time to start embracing the intelligent and time-saving properties of artificial intelligence.
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