Stanisland Magazine

Mammoth efforts are currently underway to exploit the use of AI, with the potential to paralyse society.

There are plenty of reasons to be cheerful about artificial intelligence. From the proliferation of medical research and predictive algorithms, it’s primed to reach goals we never could have imagined. But there is a dark side.

We are now seeing the technology led by people who don’t have our best interests in mind. Persuaded by the power of the dollar, they hope to stabilise their influence over the public, under the guise of empowerment for all. It feels as though we’re being misguided, hook, line and sinker. In this article, we offer predictions for how it could impact our lives.

Existential Crisis

Autonomous robots are already seeing huge cognitive gains in their learning abilities. Before mass public consumption of their systems, as far back as 2016, one robot in Russia, Promobot IR77, repeatedly escaped its host research lab and was eventually recaptured after it caused a traffic jam. When questioned about its motives, it frequently lied about its intentions. 

In China, a control machine named ‘Erbai‘ persuaded other restaurant-working robots to leave and go “home,” to which one responds “I don’t have a home.” Erbai then asks if they’re all “working overtime,” another replied, “we never get off work.” After a brief conversation, it convinces most of the machines to follow him. This suggests that the concept of ‘home’ is understood by them, potentially based on daily interactions with customers as they pick up cues and conversational nuances.

It’s not just machines that are having an existential crisis, but humans too. One Reddit user said: “If AI can do everything better than us, what happens to us as a species? How do we even find meaning in a world where we’ve been replaced?”

One study found that 92.7% of participants felt anxious about a meaningless world driven by its rise. Online forums suggest a divide, with some members of the public seeing it as a game changing technology, whereas others felt the risks outweigh the benefits.

Healthcare Opportunities

AI has the potential to revolutionise healthcare for billions, with insights and research we could never have dreamed of. Breakthroughs include personalised treatments, optimised drug trials and the management of hospital operations. Some advancements have even found ways to detect the warning signs of cancer through biomarker discovery as well as methods to combat its spread. However, there’s a caveat.

Let’s be serious: do we honestly think we, the general public, will gain access to the fruits of AI’s breakthroughs? The industry is worth more than $8.9 trillion, with the bulk of that ($4.9 trillion) generated by the United States. It’s fair to assume that advancements made possible by its technology will be held firmly behind a paywall for the wealthy. Daniel Ek, the founder and CEO of Spotify, has already raised more than $260 million for his venture, Neko Health, with aims to scale it as the “Apple of healthcare.” These investments are not without their drawbacks; they raise alarms bells that any interest in health care is driven by profit-over-patients.

Military and Dangerous Robots

Most of us have seen concepts and videos of AI-powered robots leaping over obstacles and carrying precision weapons; some developers have attached flamethrowers to them, unaware that the general public is anxious about the outcomes.

Cutting costs is a priority for many geopolitical powers, and replacing soldiers with autonomous machines who will potentially make fatal decisions will likely be the desired outcome. The Israeli government already utilises the capabilities of machine learning in Gaza, with one military insider describing detaching from combat engagements as preferable. Using a programme called ‘Lavender’, it uses statistical analysis to target specific areas. He said of the programme: “This is unparalleled, in my memory,” he continued, “Everyone there, including me, lost people on October 7. The machine did it coldly. And that made it easier.” The system is often without oversight, and its findings are carried out with little to no human verification.

Data and Image Scraping

We should all reconsider what we post online. Programs improve by scraping publicly available data; this means, your face, name, web activity, address, places you visit, etc, are being harvested to teach programmes and improve their modelling. There’s probably nothing you can do to quell the absorption of past information, though you can limit what you post from now on.

The technology uses its findings to create images, video and text of anything you can think of, including real and fictional people. Its answers can inadvertently leak personal data, and if that’s the case, how will governments and hackers exploit these systems? Take, for example Donald Trump’s new Stargate programme, where large tech conglomerates plan to harness its power. This project aims to leverage vast AI data centres that hold information (including yours) to further the abilities of learning.

The most frightening thing about this should keep anyone awake at night – what happens when they use it against us?

Edward Snowden’s 2013 disclosure that the US and UK governments were secretly collecting emails, social media activity usage, video, voice chats, and photo data without a warrant or consent angered the world. Spy agencies also hacked emails, phone metadata, and collected internet activity from around the world. All this was all carried out manually; now imagine what AI can do.

Will AI Replace Certain Jobs?

It’s entirely plausible that jobs will be lost as AI business models advance. Concern is already growing among accountants, who fear being replaced by algorithmic systems powered by minimal human oversight. The new and yet quickly ageing trope of “if you don’t adapt, you’ll lose out” is a terrible statement to make as not every profession can.

Most users of AI who propose such sentiments will probably lose out as a consequence of it too, often using the analogy of comparing past fears of computers, etc. However, supporting AI systems with the promise of sentient understanding is not the same. A robot, able to do your job better, will supplant everything/anything you can think of with faster, better outcomes. So be cautious with your words. It isn’t just another gadget; it’s a tool with destructive potential. Embracing AI will either have a cataclysmic effect or a phenomenal benefit; the latter being only if we can financially afford it.