As with any technology, artificial intelligence has the potential to be hugely beneficial to society, but it is also an innovation ripe for exploitation. Among the benefits of AI are consumer convenience it can create, improvements in medicine, and safer work environments. As explained in the video, AI technologies like facial recognition software are already being employed around the world to change the consumer experience. For example, Apple Pay and similar systems allow users to make purchases using a mobile device that scans their faces to approve the payment. Moreover, companies can utilize AI-based algorithms to learn a lot about their consumer bases. Naturally, this also has benefits and drawbacks, but it certainly has the potential to optimize the consumer experience.
In my opinion, the most important benefit of AI technologies comes in the form of medical advancements. Because AI is "data-driven" and based on pattern recognition, there are hopes that it can be used to streamline the diagnostic and treatment processes. In the documentary, Dr. Connie Lehman explains that these technologies could be particularly useful in the detection of cancers, like breast cancer. Since early detection is key in being able to effectively treat most cancers, AI would serve as an incredibly powerful tool in recognizing abnormalities before a human might be capable of registering such changes. The same capabilities could also be put to use in the lab, where AI can be used to help run and analyze experiments. Thus, incorporating AI technology into the medical field could save lives and hasten the rate at which innovations occur.
The final area in which artificial intelligence has already begun to make significant changes is in the workplace. In particular, the transportation and manufacturing industries are seeing operational shifts because of AI. On one hand, using technologies like self-driving vehicles and AI-operated machinery can make these industries safer. In the trucking industry, for instance, the use of self-driving vehicles would undoubtedly reduce the risk of injury resulting from human error. Likewise, the use of AI-operated machinery in factories reduces the need to expose humans to potentially dangerous substances or hazardous parts of the production process.
On the other hand, however, these changes are not entirely beneficial to workers in these industries. After all, the introduction of AI reduces the need for human labor, which results in a lowered demand for blue-collar workers. Consequently, many people who previously found work in these industries will find themselves without work or needing to transfer their skills into other industries. Moreover, AI technologies are increasingly being exploited by companies and governments to keep tabs on everyday citizens. One particularly concerning use of AI has been China's use of AI and facial recognition technologies to support their "social credit" system. Under this system, AI is used to track the movements and online activities of Chinese citizens. This information is then used to assign individuals a social credit score, which can either come with benefits or punishments. Regardless of the intent behind this system, most can agree that the constant tracking of of citizens, both in public and in private, constitutes an invasion of privacy. Finally, as these technologies advance, we must consider the risks posed by cybersecurity attacks that have the potential to expose much of the confidential data that can be discerned using AI. Ultimately, I am of the belief that AI technology can be used for immense good in society, but a significant risk-benefit analysis must be performed before such technologies become the norm.
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