AI does not have consciousness in the same way that humans do.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the ability of a machine to perform cognitive functions typically associated with human intelligence, such as perception, reasoning, learning, interacting with the environment, problem solving, and even creativity. While there has been much discussion and speculation in recent times that AI will soon surpass human intelligence and enslave humans, we have unknowingly entered the realm of AI to perform many tasks. Many of us use AI for real-time language translation, health and fitness apps to track and analyze health-related activities, virtual assistant tools for automated responses and reminders, smart home devices for security, image and voice recognition tools to search, activate and interact with devices, and much more. AI is currently being used in a variety of industries, from finance to healthcare.
The development of AI and its impact on our daily lives is immense. In 2022, AI went mainstream as the application of Generative Pre-Training Transformer became widely known. The most popular application is ChatGPT by OpenAI, which quickly gained popularity and is adding millions of users every month in 2023. Gemini chatbot, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Google in 2023, has also gained immense popularity in a short period of time. ChatGPT and Gemini have gained widespread popularity and have become synonymous with AI in the minds of most consumers. But these are just a few of the ways AI technology is used today. Recently, Apple partnered with OpenAI to roll out a new artificial intelligence system, which is expected to be a breakthrough for AI platforms.
Application of artificial intelligence
AI does not have consciousness in the same way as humans. However, the applications of artificial intelligence are believed to be limitless. The technology can be applied in various fields and industries. AI has been tested and used in the healthcare industry to suggest drug dosages, identify treatments, and assist in surgical procedures in the operating room. AI is also used to classify patients, maintain and track medical records, and process health insurance claims. Future innovations are believed to include AI-assisted robotic surgery, virtual nurses and doctors, collaborative clinical decision-making, and more. Similarly, artificial intelligence is also being applied in the financial industry, where AI algorithms analyze large amounts of financial data to identify patterns and anomalies that indicate fraudulent activities, and analyze large data sets to enable risk assessment models to minimize potential risks in real time.
AI makes our lives more convenient and enjoyable, improving our standard of living. It can tell us how to get out of a terrible traffic jam, turn on the air conditioner before we reach home on a hot day, scroll through hundreds of TV shows to find our favorite genre, and mine social media information to detect fake news and disinformation. Artificial intelligence is also making inroads in agriculture and the lives of farmers. It is used to detect various parameters such as the amount of moisture in the soil, lack of moisture, and the amount of nutrient deficiency. There are also machines that use AI to detect where weeds are growing, where the soil is infertile, etc.
AI can provide much greater accessibility for people with disabilities. Artificial intelligence is commonly integrated into smartphones and other home devices. Virtual assistants such as Siri, Alexa, and Cortana can perform myriad tasks, from making phone calls to navigating the internet. People with hearing impairments can access transcriptions of voicemails and other audio. AI can improve workplace safety because it doesn't suffer from stress, fatigue, and illness, the three biggest causes of human accidents in the workplace. AI robots can collaborate with or replace humans in particularly dangerous tasks.
On the other hand, AI will cause mass unemployment as robots replace humans, harming the standard of living for many people. AI robots and other software and hardware are becoming cheaper and do not require any of the benefits and services required for human workers, such as sick days, lunch hours, health insurance, salary increases, promotions, performance reviews, retirement, etc. This is a problem for workers and society at large. Another major drawback of AI is that it does not learn to think outside the box and does not create creativity. There is a widespread belief that AI will grow out of control and eventually wipe out humanity.
Similarly, artificial intelligence poses dangerous privacy risks. Facial recognition technology can be used for passive, warrantless surveillance, without the knowledge of those being monitored. Moreover, AI can be a godsend for criminals. For example, in 2020, a group of 17 criminals defrauded a bank in the United Arab Emirates of $35 million by using AI “deep voice” technology to impersonate employees with money transfer authority.
No country is immune to the impacts of AI, and no country can solve the challenges posed by this technology alone. AI has the potential to revolutionize our lives, but the risks must also be minimized. Amid growing concern over the risks and opportunities, world leaders and AI developers held the world's first Global Summit on AI Safety in the UK on 1-2 November 2023 to assess the risks and opportunities. They agreed to work with governments to test new frontier models before release in order to manage the risks of the rapidly developing technology. It is hoped that by minimizing the greater risks predicted in the near future, the use of AI will be regulated for the benefit of humanity.
