People would argue that the sword is one of mankind’s gifts to humanity. It gave the people the power to do good, but at the same time to do evil and chaos. In the modern world, society is no stranger to ideas and machines that are like double-edged swords, things that could bring progress or destruction to the world. One of which is Artificial Intelligence.
The idea of making life easier gave birth to the invention of Artificial Intelligence. Various machines created out of this were programmed to do one thing, and that is to make life easier for humans. Because of this, self-driving cars such as Tesla’s model 3 wherein chips are now installed that allow the vehicle to operate itself. Another manifestation would be Waze, an application that helps users to navigate the streets and find the fastest route to reach their destination. It uses Google-powered predictions that monitor traffic wherever you are and whenever you need it. Schools are now also integrating the use of Artificial Intelligence, one example are Plagiarism-checkers that help teachers check the projects of students if whether or not it came from their minds or from someone else’s, Robo-readers are also being utilized to efficiently check essays with the help of algorithms that check essays with more efficiency and less time.
The thought of having these AI technologies assisting us in our daily lives may sound comforting; however, it’s not all sunshine and daisies. AI just like all other inventions also has its downside. The risk of us turning them into sentient and autonomous beings, capable of feeling and able to outsmart its creators is not only limited to Science-fiction movies and books but it could be reflected into the real world. It’s an idea that is not really far-fetched, because the scenario could still happen in real life, however, it is only circumstantial. According to Angel Laya, Louisian Newsette’s Science and Technology editor, there are 2 possible scenarios that could happen. First, when AI’s are tasked to do heinous tasks such as to kill. One example of this would be the military integrating the use of AI in weaponry. Militaries all over the world such as the US are already taking strides in this field. With manufacturers creating weapons that could target and terminate enemies from far locations with immense firepower, affecting civilian populations just to do what was ordered to it. Imagine how horrifying it would be for an unarmed man sleeping in his home, getting killed just because he was near living a terrorist’s place. And second, when they create destructive patterns to achieve its goal. Just like the example given in the first scenario, when these machines are tasked to do such orders, sacrificing human casualties in the process.
Another thing is that it’s costly; the creation of such machines would be costly, along with its maintenance. Creating these machines would cost a fortune because of the materials to be used. On top of that, it is not easy creating machines. Hence, manufacturers’ salaries are quite high in order to compensate their efforts.
Although the downside of it may seem something straight out of a horror movie, the benefits outweigh the cost. The applications of AI in the daily lives of the people ease the burden of the society. However, we must approach and advance Artificial Intelligence with values. In creating AI’s, the creator must first have disciplines and values that are focused on keeping the welfare of the people safe and should not be used for personal gain. In that way, all machines do not have to use extreme and unnatural methods in doing the tasks assigned to them. So as humans, we must promote good moral and ethical values when using and creating AI’s in order for us to have a safeguard against a terminator-like reality wherein AI takes control and over powers humanity.
References: https://emerj.com/ai-sector-overviews/everyday-examples-of-ai/
Beta Outcrop 