AI and society
The rapidly evolving field of AI brings with it a lot of excitement, but also a lot of anxiety. Similar to the rapid development in its early years and the advancement of the Internet, which has changed dramatically over the years, AI offers potentially significant benefits, but it must be approached with caution. AI could help researchers manage large amounts of data in fields ranging from health to astronomy and other progressive technologies that can be collected and stored at unprecedented speeds. This can help innovate solutions and mitigate ongoing crises, such as climate change by improving climate models and optimizing energy grids, and has already made great strides in accessibility, such as generating alternative text and subtitles for images and videos.
However, more research is needed to understand and inform concerns ranging from the ethics of sourcing training data to the effects on our own brains. AI is here to stay, and there is work to be done to make it more efficient and sustainable, to clearly identify when it is or is not appropriate to use it, how to do it ethically, and to prepare students for an AI-driven workforce.
“Artificial intelligence is already undergoing incredible transformation across the board, and we continue to explore ways to leverage this technology to enhance research, teaching, and operations at the Eberly College of Science,” said Tracy Langkild, dean of the Eberly College of Science. “Our researchers have been using machine learning and other forms of artificial intelligence for decades to make advances in everything from understanding our bodies and environment to materials and even the universe. Now, this allows us to do things we never thought possible.”
