Knowledge of the trends that shape our future is very important to us here at The Pinnacle Financial Group. That’s why, each year, we award a scholarship based on a student’s awareness and personal efforts that demonstrate an understanding of the current affairs which can have far reaching impacts on many aspects of society.
Essay topic: What are the positive and negative effects of the advances in Artificial Intelligence on our daily lives?
Here is Victoria’s winning submission to us!
The idea of artificial intelligence being commonplace in the average American home would have been unsettling just a few years ago. AI was almost exclusively seen in dystopian films and television shows, where it was frequently depicted as evil robotic machines that would soon take over the world and end life as we know it. This portrayal now stands in stark contrast to our understanding of artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence can now be found in the majority of homes, businesses, and stores around the world. However, artificial intelligence has been and will continue to be a highly debated topic among the general public, with many debating the already existing and potential positive and negative advances that this type of machinery could bring to everyday life.
For starters, the incorporation of artificial intelligence into the majority of homes has assisted the average person in performing simple everyday tasks more efficiently. Tools like Apple’s “Siri” and Google’s “Ok Google” can both help users make phone calls, record notes, send texts, research information, and even receive GPS directions without ever touching their phone. While these tasks may appear insignificant, many people perform these basic functions several times per day, and the ability to perform these tasks hands-free with little resistance or difficulty greatly increases the productivity of those who use these artificial tools. Furthermore, AI advancements have greatly benefited both small and large businesses worldwide. AI in the workplace has the ability to complete many tedious, small, repetitive tasks that were previously performed by ordinary people. AI has been used in assembly lines to complete repetitive tasks such as mass building or packaging products for distribution to consumers. This was previously done by employees, who were frequently overworked and working in hazardous conditions with long hours and few breaks. These jobs can now be completed with ease using 24/7 robots that do not require breaks. These AI bots have also been used in customer service, where “Chatbots” frequently converse with online customers and refer them to human consultants who can best answer their questions and resolve their problems. Finally, AI advancements have greatly improved the efficiency of medical practices around the world. Many new pieces of medical and diagnostic equipment make use of artificial intelligence. This advanced machinery has been used in many different practices and specialties with similar results; physicians all over the world are more accurate and have a better chance of diagnosing and treating patients when using advanced AI machinery. These machines and programs have assisted doctors in developing and perfecting multiple vaccinations, combating antibiotic resistance, developing new drugs to combat immune diseases, and even detecting multiple types of cancer earlier than previously thought. AI has many positive effects on many aspects of daily life, making life easier and more fulfilling for the average person.
While artificial intelligence has many practical and productive effects on the general public, this type of advanced machinery is not without drawbacks. First and foremost, AI is costly. AI machinery and programs cost a lot of money and funding to develop, and they will frequently require the same amount of money and funding to maintain and update to keep up with the ever-growing and rapidly advancing field of artificial machinery. This rapidly expanding field has already resulted in some machinery becoming so expensive that the average working-class citizen cannot afford to use certain types of AI. As this field develops, many people fear that AI will eventually become so advanced and fully funded that only the most wealthy individuals will be able to afford its use and benefits. Second, while AI has been extremely beneficial to many businesses in performing many tasks, this machinery has increasingly been used to perform jobs and tasks that humans could do. Many argue that this is contributing to the world’s rising unemployment rates. Many people have even reported that businesses are now firing human workers and replacing them with AI machinery that does not require payment, benefits, or breaks. While these machines can be extremely useful in the workplace, they should only be used to supplement and assist human labor, not as a replacement for actual workers. Finally, as AI technology becomes more widely available to the public, people with malicious intent can gain access to it. Recently, videos dubbed “Deepfakes” have surfaced all over the internet. These videos can artificially replicate someone’s face and voice and can be programmed to appear to say or do whatever the programmer desires. This has caused a lot of problems for celebrities, political figures, and ordinary people. Because of how easy it has become to replicate both voices and faces online, this technology has led to a growing mistrust in the internet, or AI in particular, as people can no longer believe in anything they see or hear.
AI has advanced significantly in many ways over the last decade. These advanced machines are capable of many useful everyday tasks and can provide relief and comfort to a large number of people. However, we must remember that these machines have a cost, and we must approach them with extreme caution, treating them as the machines that they are at their core. Machines that are capable of helping increase the productivity of everyday tasks and medicine, but with the capability to ruin the lives of millions and destroy employment, and the credibility and trust we have in the internet and media.
