Artificial intelligence is now part of our modern world and already widely used in business, from bots on company websites providing customer services, to ChatGPT for a whole host of different types of content.
In fact, it’s probably doing something for us humans at virtually every moment of the day and night. But is it all that it’s cracked up to be?
How clued up are you?
Are you aware of the benefits as well as the risks AI poses to your business?
Not everyone is convinced that its spread is a good thing. So far seven countries have banned the use of the AI tool ChatGPT, with Italy being the most recent.
Benefits of using AI:
- It reduces human error and has a timesaving element.
- Valuable in dangerous activities e.g., bomb disposal, search and rescue in man-made or natural disasters, mining exploration
- It is available 24/7 unlike humans.
- Faster and more reliable with repetitive jobs.
- OK Google (Google) - useful in supplying information and offering answers to questions.
- Life-changing new interventions within medicine.
- Faster decision making compared with humans because of its programming.
What are we losing?
Reliance on AI separates us from working with humans and having the unique input and relationship of another, so do we really want this?
Undoubtedly AI is proving its worth in some sectors, particularly with medical research or where human life is at risk.
But how will this affect our ability to think, dream, innovate and create?
The bigger question to ask is where are we going as a species with the increasing reliance on and use of these tools?
Cheap and convenient vs quality and originality
Writers like me are not great fans of ChatGPT for obvious reasons.
This piece of kit could potentially kill off our craft, a craft we have spent years honing and polishing, with businesses seeing it as the cheap, quick fix to their copy needs.
The fact that the computer-generated content may not reflect the company/brand tone of voice is one of a few issues writers have with these AI tools.
It may even be factually incorrect (this happens) or be at risk of plagiarism.
More likely, what’s produced is simply another page of vanilla words having little impact on the audience.
Despite this, some businesses will be tempted to use these labour-saving tools because they’re easy, accessible and don’t threaten an already tight budget. But is this just a fool’s paradise?
Let’s consider some of the downsides of using AI.
Current and future risks:
- Humans do less and become lazy, enslaved by the god of convenience.
- The rise of malware, posing danger to commercial and domestic environments.
- The costs involved in creating AI.
- Increased unemployment as bots make humans redundant.
- Threats to security: impersonation, scams, and data breaches.
- Insufficient or no regulation governing its creation or implementation.
- Inability to generate new ideas.
These alone should be cause for concern.
Some of the bigger issues relate to consumer privacy, unclear legal regulation, and the dangers AI poses to humans in terms of biased programming with its social/cultural implications.
The future
Whilst AI undoubtedly has a value and place within our world and our businesses, it must never become our master.
We need to ensure proper legislation and governance are in place first if we are to benefit from this technological advancement.
Without that we risk drowning in a flood of artificial intelligence, existing in a world where bots rule and humans become obedient slaves to technology.
Written by:
Mary Wardell
Freelance writer
Greywing Creations
