Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably seen the influx of AI in the news over the past few months. In a short space of time, we’ve seen AI evolve from a sci-fi hypothetical to an uncomfortably real phenomenon. Today’s science fiction is tomorrow’s science! Amidst fears of the threat that unregulated AI poses, and there being no signs of this conversation stopping anytime soon, you may be asking – why is this all happening now, and so suddenly? But to understand how the concept of artificial intelligence has taken our world by storm, we must establish what we mean by it. And that, reader, is kindly expanded by the conveniently subtitled segment below.
If you’re sat there wondering what AI actually is, it’s short for Artificial Intelligence – the ability for a machine to simulate human capabilities, like problem-solving of its own accord. Naturally, giving machines that ability brings to mind a particular quote from Spiderman’s Uncle Ben, “With great power comes great responsibility.” AI researchers and organisations are in a rare and special position to influence the future and should have ethical concerns at the forefront of their minds. They must promote an accountable culture in the field of AI. This insightful 2018 report on the malicious use of AI explains further.
0ur blog aims to highlight some of the controversial advantages and ethical dilemmas of AI.
AI can enhance productivity and effectiveness
Applying AI technology has the potential to achieve previously unknown levels of efficiency and performance. It can automate repetitive time-consuming tasks, as well as handle and analyse ‘big data’ and support data-driven decision-making potentially, freeing up large amounts of time.
Ultimately, AI can streamline operations and increase productivity. How? By identifying inefficiencies and making data-driven recommendations. With its capacity for learning and adaptation, AI continuously improves performance and aids in boosting effectiveness.
The benefits of AI in Cybersecurity
AI in cybersecurity has generated a lot of debate. On the one hand, AI is excellent at identifying and countering cyber threats because it can quickly sift through massive volumes of data, identifying anomalies and patterns associated with malicious behaviour. AI systems constantly learn and adjust to new threats, improving their capacity to fend against complex cyberattacks. But there are worries about future AI abuse by online criminal gangs. AI systems can be manipulated by cyberattacks. Additionally, the increased use of AI in cybersecurity poses ethical questions around surveillance and privacy. The challenge of weighing the advantages of AI for cyber with moral and ethical goals is still on-going.
The benefits of AI in digital marketing
Marketing may be thought as of an exclusively human talent, but with technology adopting human-like qualities thanks to AI, it may very well make digital marketing more effective than ever. AI can assist you in finding the most relevant topics, keywords and even article titles and content, provided it is given a good enough brief! Now that’s up to you!
Unlike a human, AI can search multiple websites and online channels for relevant information simultaneously, saving its human colleagues precious time, and arguably doing an even better job than they could.
The benefits of AI in healthcare
The healthcare sector has benefited greatly from AI, which has created new possibilities for growth and potential. By using AI, medical professionals can examine huge amounts of patient data, enable early diagnosis and individualise treatment plans.
“From telemedicine applications to AI-guided surgical procedures”, the integration of AI in healthcare has immense potential to alter medical practices, improve results, and increase access to high-quality treatment.
Whether the potential of AI excites or frightens you, one thing is certain – it has an enormous capacity to change what we have always thought unchangeable. Just this month, medical history was made with a paralysed man walking with the assistance of AI. You only need to pop on the sci-fi channel to see dozens of examples of how we’ve dreamed advanced technology could improve our lives, and it’s undeniably thrilling to imagine that we may be closer than ever thanks to AI. From medical breakthroughs to unparalleled workforce improvements, we’ve entered a new frontier. And that’s frightening to many, as nothing is quite as unsettling as the unknown.
But what are some of the ethical dilemmas that come with AI?
4 ethical dilemmas that come with AI
1. Human and AI balance
As AI develops, concerns about the correct roles and responsibilities of humans in the decision-making process emerge. To prevent dependency on AI systems, it is essential to strike a balance between human judgment and AI reliance.
2. AI is biased
Additionally, AI programmes may unintentionally be biased, resulting in discriminating results. To ensure fairness and equal treatment, biases in AI systems must be recognised by humans and avoided.
3. AI can be used to extract openly accessible data
In the recruitment space controversially, AI can be used to extract openly accessible data from third-party sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to create a thorough digital footprint of candidates. Research indicates that these sources offer a very accurate depiction of people, delivering insightful knowledge into their interests and behaviour, notwithstanding privacy concerns, but is this ethnically right?
4. AI in education
The employment of AI in education, the quality of education, and the level of student support all have an impact. Effective teaching strategies, critical thinking, and skill development should all be combined with AI. Younger people may gain the information and skills necessary for a technology-driven environment by carefully integrating AI tools into their education. However, there have been reports that ‘Half of school and college students are already using ChatGPT to cheat’ with many schools already banning the use of the software so where do we draw the line on its use in education?
Ultimately, the impact of AI goes without saying. It’s changed the world already and will continue to do so in transformative and impactful ways. The question to ask ourselves is not whether AI will transform the world, but rather, if we’re able to keep up with it. Coming to terms with AI will require proactive regulations and a global consensus on its benefits as well as its dangers, including reputational risks, a lack of ethics, and confronting our biases when it comes to how AI is used.
There are benefits to using AI, and there are also reasonable concerns to have about it. Whether or not it leads to some crisis in the future, I sadly can’t say, as AI hasn’t quite extended to time travel technology yet! All the same, one thing is for certain. We have two choices; to either shun AI or embrace its inevitability – because it’s here to stay.
Here at Digitel, our team specialise in assisting with technology, so you may call us a little biased! But when it comes to going into an exciting, technology-driven future, trust that you can rely on our services.
