Artificial Intelligence Technology:
Beneficial or Dangerous?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of our lives . We all
are using AI for our work, study , business , get any kind of information very
quickly and even for conversation ,Yes, AI has advanced to such an extent now
that it can converse like a human . It can analyze data, recognize patterns, and
even understand natural language, which makes it incredibly versatile across
various fields.
AI can be assist us but we should not rely on it completely .How we humans have
a negative side and a positive side in our life like that AI have also
advantages and disadvantages .
Introduction
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a set of technologies that enable machines to
perform takes that mimic human cognitive functions, such as learning,
decision-making, reasoning, and problem-solving. The ultimate goal of AI is to
develop machines that can reason, learn, and adapt to new situations, simulating
human cognitive functions:
- Seeing and understanding: AI can recognize images and understand spoken and written language
- Analyzing data: AI can process large amounts of data to find patterns and solve problems
- Making recommendations: AI can learn independently and reason to solve problems
- Learning and reasoning: AI can learn independently and reason to solve problems
Modern AI is made up of different categories of systems that each have unique specializations. Given the numerous and varied types of artificial intelligence applications, it makes sense that more specific categories have developed over time. The broadest delineation of AI is between narrow (all current AI systems) and general (all potential future AI systems).
Narrow AI
Also known as "weak" AI, these tools perform a single, often simple confined function that assists with a routine task. Examples include a digital assistant that can automate a series of steps and software that analyzes data to give recommendations. These tools will usually require a person to set up the task as well as a person to take action on the information provided by the AI.
General AI
General AI is something referred to as "strong" AI. This category of AI does not exist currently, as any modern AI tool requires some level of human collaboration or maintenance. However, many developers continue to improve on the capabilities of their systems in an effort to reach a level of effectiveness that will require less human intervention in the machine learning process.
When Was AI Invented
The concept of machines thinking like humans has a long history going back many centuries, with philosophers as far back as the 1700s writing about how knowledge is constructed and whether or not it could be predicted in some way. However, the possibility came to fruition in the 1950s. When AI was invented, it was largely thanks to two computer scientists, Alan Turing and John McCarthy.
- 1950: Alan Turing published Computer Machinery and Intelligence, which proposed a test to measure machine intelligence called The Imitation Game, later known as The Turing Test
- 1955: McCarthy held a workshop at Dartmouth to discuss "artificial intelligence", coining the term and popularizing its use
Who Invented AI
Alan Turing had the famous test named after him, john McCarthy is usually
acknowledged as the person who invented AI. One of McCarthy's most notable
contributions to computer science is the development of the programming language
LISP (List Processing), which was specifically designed for AI research and
became one of the most important languages in the field. He also proposed the
concept of time-sharing in computers, which laid the groundwork for modern
interactive computing
Can AI be a Threat?
Yes, artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in threat in multiple ways,
including:
- Job loss
Worldwide, more than a billion people could lose their jobs to AI automation over the next ten years, according to the World Economic Forum. AI can automate routine and repetitive jobs, and replace creative jobs like writing news stories and producing art, data entry, retail, manufacturing.
- Disinformation
AI can generate realistic fake audio and video content, known as "deep fakes," that are difficult to distinguish from real content. It can create convincing fake text that reinforces stereotypes, biases, or outdated opinions. AI can be used to create fake news websites, robocalls, chatbots, and generate images.
- Privacy
AI can be used for online tracking and profiling, and to merge information a person has given into new data. AI can collect and process large amounts of personal data, which can be vulnerable to hacking and other security breaches. AI-enabled digital assistants can use cameras and sensors to constantly observe people, places, and things, which violates privacy. Data collected and stored by AI systems can be accessed and misused long after the initial purpose of collection.
- Health
AI can be misused to enhance lethal weapons, and can lead to misdiagnoses in healthcare. AI systems can make mistakes, such as recommending the wrong drug. If AI became widespread, a problem in one system could injure thousands of patients.
- Cyber security
AI can be used to increase the efficiency of cyber operations, such as reconnaissance, phishing, and coding. Attackers can use AI to develop malware that can change its code or behavior to evade detection by antivirus software.
- Degradation of human judgment
AI can automate more and more judgment calls that people make daily, which can lead to people losing the capacity to make these judgments themselves.
- Existential threat
An existential threat is a threat to the existence of something, such as living things, nonliving things, or the future. Self-improving AI could pose an existential threat to humanity.
Benefits of AI
An AI program is capable of learning and thinking. It is consider anything
artificial intelligence if it consists of a program performing a task that we
would generally assume a human would perform. AI can be beneficial in many ways,
including:
- Improving safety: AI can help reduce human error and improve safety in many areas, such as construction, healthcare, and robotic surgery.
- Streamlining Processes: AI can automate repetitive tasks, saving time and freeing up human workers to focus on more complex tasks.
- Improving healthcare: AI can help doctors and nurses diagnose and treat patients, and can help anticipate and predict problems.
- Improving education: AI can help improve access to education.
- Improving cybersecurity: AI can help protect sensitive information through encryption software and deep neural networks.
Can AI be dangerous to humans?
As AI grows more sophisticated and widespread, the voices warning against the potential dangers of artificial intelligence grow louder.
"These things could get more intelligent than us and could decide to take over, and we need to worry now about how we prevent that happening," said Geoffrey Hinton, Known as the "Godfather of AI" for his foundational work on machine learning and neural network algorithms. In 2023, Hinton left his position at Google so that he could "talk about the dangers of AI," noting a part of him even regrets his life's work.
The renowned computer scientist isn't alone in his concerns.
Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, along with over 1,000 other tech leaders, urged in a 2023 open letter to put a pause on larger AI experiments, citing that the technology can "pose profound risks to society and humanity."
Some quotes from renowned experts and visionaries will inspire and unveil the wisdom that AI holds:
- "AI is a mirror, reflecting not only our intellect, but our values and
fears." -- Ravi Narayanan, VP of Insights and Analytics.
- "By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it." -- Eliezer Yudkowsky, co-founder and research fellow at the Machine Intelligence Research Institute.
In the past when AI was just spitting out predictions and robots navigating rooms full of chairs, the question of how humans and AI interacted was more of an existentialist query than a concern. But now, with AI permeating everyday life, the question becomes more pressing. How does interacting with AI affect humans?
Cases:
- Teen dies by suicide after forming attachment with character AI chatbot, mother holds company responsible: In an unsettling case, a 14-year-old boy who formed an emotional connection with an AI chatbot has tragically taken his own life. His mother, Megan Garcia, is now suing Character.ai after her son, Sewell Setzer lll, died by suicide. Sewell had spent months developing an emotional attachment to an AI chatbot modeled after a Game of Thrones character, Daenerys Targaryen. Garcia has accused Character.AI of negligence and failing to protect vulnerable users like her son. The teen's death and the lawsuit have raised serious concerns about the safety of AI platforms, particularly those targeted at young people.
- The back-up driver of an Uber self-driving car that killed a pedestrian has been charged with negligent homicide: In 2018, a self-driving car used by the rideshare company Uber hit and killed a pedestrian in a driving accident. In that particular case, the court ruled that the backup driver of the self-driving car was at fault, as she was watching a show on her phone instead of paying attention to her surroundings.
Legal Responsibility
When something goes wrong, who is responsible? The AI itself? The programmer Who
developed it? The company that implemented it? Or, if there was a human
involved, is it the human operator's fault?
We talked above about a self-driving car that killed a pedestrian, when the
backup driver was found at fault. But does that set the precedent for every case
involving AI? Probably not, as the question is complex and ever-evolving.
Different uses of AI will have different legal liabilities if something goes
wrong.
As AI is growing rapidly, in the coming years, AI will become highly advanced,
and its misuse will also begin to occur on a larger scale. To prevent the misuse
of AI and to maintain oversight, the government should establish specific laws
governing AI.
Legal Frameworks and Practices
India does not have specific laws directly addressing generative AI, such as
deepfakes. It has instead introduced a series of advisories and guidelines to
encourage the responsible AI development.
- Patents Act, 1970 – Allows for the patenting of AI algorithms or their outputs if they meet certain criteria, such as being a technical advancement or having economic significance.
- The Copyright Act, 1957 – AI-generated content is not considered copyrightable because it is not the product of human authorship.
- The Trade Marks Act, 1999 - Provide protection for AI-related innovations, such as algorithms, software, and datasets.
- National Data Governance Framework Policy (NDGFP) - Aims to create an ecosystem that supports AI and data-driven research and startups.
- Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act) – Sets out frameworks for cybersecurity, data protection, and intermediary liability.
- Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 - Creates a data management plan to give people more control over their data and information.
Conclusion:
Artificial Intelligence technology presents a dual-edged sword. On one hand, it
offers significant benefits, including increased efficiency, enhanced
decision-making, and innovative solutions across various sectors such as
healthcare, finance, and education. These advancements can lead to improved
quality of life and economic growth.
On the other hand, the potential dangers of AI cannot be overlooked. Issues such
as privacy concerns, job displacement, and the risk of misuse for malicious
purposes pose serious challenges. As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial to
strike a balance between harnessing its benefits and mitigating its risks.
References:
- https://online.maryville.edu/blog/history-of-ai/
- https://builtin.com/artificial-intelligence/risks-of-artificial-intelligence
- I utilized chatgpt for generating content
- https://www.tableau.com/data-insights/ai/risks
- https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/overly-strict-regulations-could-hinder-ai-growth-in-india-caution-experts/article68320814.ece
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