Good
by Breanna Adamick
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come a long way since its origin in the 1940s to 1950s, when the first digital computers were created. Within the last five years, AI has progressed to the extent that it is now comparable or even superior to human intelligence. The increasing use of AI in society is concerning for several reasons, including the effect it will continue to have on human employment and the assistance it has already provided scammers and irreputable people or websites.
Job losses due to AI are a pressing concern, especially as this technology is quickly being adopted in multiple fields. Data suggests that around 300 million full-time jobs could be lost to AI automation. On a similar front, socioeconomic inequality is a concern, as AI automation in jobs has made it so some blue-collar workers have experienced as high as 70 percent wage drops while white-collar workers have remained untouched, with some even receiving higher wages.
Additionally, AI makes it increasingly difficult to trust anything we may see or hear. The creation of AI generated images and videos, as well as AI voice changers makes it quite easy to deceive just about anyone online. Reports have detailed people being duped over the phone by highly realistic imitations of family members or friends’ voices—all of these calls in some way angling for money in covert, duplicitous ways. As AI continues to improve, spotting the truth will only become more challenging.
Even the “Godfather of AI,” Geoffrey Hinton, fears what this ever-advancing technology might soon be capable of, going so far as to say that a part of him “regrets his life’s work.” Since leaving Google in early 2023 after ten years as an instrumental part of the company, Hinton has given multiple interviews detailing the existential threat of AI and the potential of it to harm humans. Hinton is not alone in his worry that AI systems may begin to think for themselves in a way that may be dangerous for human civilization, as both Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, have expressed their concern and desire to pause AI experiments due to the risks it poses.
Further advancing technology seems to be a never-ending goal, even with the impressive amount of high-functioning technology we already have. With artificial intelligence already at the level it is, it might be wise to take a step back and really process what we have created and the many potential risks that come with it, especially if it is further developed.
Bad
by Xypher Pino
Over the past couple of years, we have seen a significant improvement in artificial technology. AI has never been as well-rounded and accessible as it is now and as a result, the popularity of AI has exponentially increased, fully making its way onto mainstream media. Alongside this popularity comes controversy – discussions regarding the pros and cons of AI are more prominent than ever, with many having extreme opinions, even calling for the abolition of AI as a whole. Why does the general public have this opinion regarding AI, even though the removal of AI can be detrimental to society?
To start off, it is important to note that AI has been around for many decades. Contrary to popular belief, AI has been in development since the 1950s, with experts considering the 1956 Dartmouth Conference as the birth of AI. Some people claim that AI is brand new technology, hence why it should not be trusted – this claim could not be more wrong. AI has been in development for more than half a century now – hundreds of researchers have contributed to this technology and an absurd amount of funds have been put into improving AI.
Furthermore, it must also be pointed out that history shows us that as AI has improved, so has the overall technology of our world. The 20th and 21st centuries not only saw huge advances in AI, but advances in other aspects of technology as well. This is not a coincidence – we are currently living in the most technologically advanced era ever, and much of this can be credited to AI. This brings me to my next point – people do not realize how significant a role AI has played in history, much less its role in everyday life.
Everybody, from children, teenagers, adults and elders and everything from schools, hospitals, businesses, corporations and the government, uses AI in a significant manner multiple times a day on a daily basis. It is almost impossible to avoid AI in today’s world as everything is built around it. AI plays such a crucial role in our lives, and it is involved in everything that we do – if society suddenly moved away from AI, life would be completely different.
There are so many more amazing things that could be said about the brilliance of AI. I encourage you to do your own research on the history and benefits of AI as the technology is truly remarkable. Hopefully, this article provided you with valuable information about AI and inspired you to go down your own AI rabbit hole.
The Collegian 