This story is part of Amy Bell’s story parental guidance Column aired on CBC Radio One early version.
Artificial intelligence (AI) was once a science fiction dream.
But with seemingly intelligent systems such as ChatGPT and GPT-4 gaining popularity, it’s clear that AI will become more and more present in our daily lives and in the lives of our children.
I’m not too worried about the robot rebellion just yet, but I do worry about the potential for children to become dependent on AI, and how technology is already so deeply ingrained in their lives.
feedback loop
Jill Fellowes, a professor of philosophy at Douglas College, said there are already concerns about AI, including gender bias and presenting false information as fact.
“Algorithms like TikTok and Facebook tend to feed you back what they already know you’re interested in. There’s a potential concern of people radicalizing there,” Dawes said. , said he was co-editor of a collection of essays examining technology through intersecting feminist lenses. Gender, Sex and Technology!: A Feminist Guide at the Crossroads.
“I say ‘think’. [but] I don’t think so. But we may narrow our experience in certain ways so as not to expose ourselves to new ideas and new arguments. ”
But how much power does AI really have?
Eliza is a computer program created by Joseph Weizenbaum in the 1960s. Using a method of pattern matching, people were able to “converse” with Eliza.
However, people, including researchers and scientists, were convinced of Eliza’s intelligence and understanding, even though Weizenbaum constantly explained how it was impossible.
Fellows say it’s a pitfall of human nature when it comes to technology.
“We are really good at anthropomorphizing things. We can anthropomorphize rocks. We can anthropomorphize cars. We can have a more intimate relationship with stuffed animals.
“And now we have Chat GPT, and before that you can talk to Suri and Alexa. About.”
People, especially young people, look to others for guidance, comfort, and connection. These interactions are important for learning and growth.
Therefore, there are concerns that if children feel connected to non-human sources, it may lead to diminished social skills or reluctance to ask friends and family for help when needed. .
rules and regulations
Parents can take some comfort in the fact that all the concerns and concerns they have about AI are shared by the team of researchers and developers working on these new technologies.
As AI evolves and changes rapidly, we are grappling with the question of how best to move forward.
Aimee Kendall Roundtree, a professor at Texas State University who worked on the World Economic Forum’s AI For Children Toolkit, said it’s important to remember that this isn’t the first time people have been concerned about the impact of technology on us. I’m here.
“Technology has been a subject of controversy, curiosity and concern for parents and society since the dawn of time,” says Roundtree.
“So I think putting radio or television or movie introductions in this perspective contextualizes the onslaught of AI and this whole new technology. [like] Machine learning and deep learning.
“In that context, I think it might offer, if not a guarantee, the prospect of being able to live as a free-thinking human being in a world alongside technology.”
And just like humans, we need to hold these technologies accountable.
“These technologies are intended to complement or augment human life as we know it, involving them as non-human agents, exercising autonomy and decision-making on their own.” If so, the world’s human agents will help us make these decisions in a fair, inclusive, and responsible manner,” Roundtree said.
Rapidly changing and advancing technology can be unsettling, especially when it seems to have its own mind.
But the thing to remember about AI is that it is just one of many amazing technological advances that we have collectively witnessed and adopted in our lifetimes. As long as we recognize its limitations, it can bring enormous benefits in medical progress, employment and education.
No, it’s not that our robotic overlords are imminently overtaking our society.
