While the realm of technology is expanding at an exponential rate, one particular field that has seen unprecedented growth is that of artificial intelligence, or AI.
AI has already had a major impact in areas such as healthcare, transportation, and entertainment. Apple Watches that alert emergency services when they detect a sudden change in heart range, voice assistants that can schedule appointments for you and weather detectors that help farmers in agriculture are just the tip of the iceberg. From where we stand, the possibilities for AI’s future use seem almost limitless.
However, while growth is welcome, we must stop and think about the probable harms of AI. One of the biggest concerns is how they might end up replacing human jobs, seeing how they don’t need breaks or vacations like normal people. The ethical considerations surrounding AI are plenty as well, with risk factors such as identity theft, surveillance and access to unauthorized data. The sudden rise of programs such as ChatGPT, which can generate human-like text responses to any prompt, also rings alarm bells as they can be misused to forge assignments and tasks.
In summation, AI can be a boon or bane to humanity, and it all depends on how we use it. I think Uncle Ben said it best himself: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
~ Sahima Mittal | 10A
