Look around you — technology is looming deep into the crevices of every aspect of our daily lives. To some, this may seem like an amazing accomplishment for humanity, but to others, skepticism and fear may start to creep in. It’s no secret that technology has flipped our world upside down changing the way we communicate, problem-solve and even think. Living in a world that is constantly expanding at an alarming rate, the real question is — should we be worried about AI taking over?
AI — also known as Artificial Intelligence — has integrated its way into our daily activities whether that is shopping, education, job searching, and even health. Did you know studies are being conducted right now to replace certain roles attributed to doctors with AI? The last 10 years are currently being referred to as The Decade of Artificial Intelligence, as it has grown to affect every field of work out there.
So what is there to be worried about? Let’s wind it back to 2014 when the late Stephen Hawking himself said that the development of full artificial intelligence could “spell the end of the human race." The tricky part is that AI has already begun to hack into humanity, just in ways that the normal skeptic may not expect. Let’s break it down — there are 4 major ways in which AI is a risk to humanity as a whole, focusing on job automation, deepfakes, privacy, and bias.
Job Automation
We already knew AI was working towards the point of human replacement, whether you enjoyed the Charlie and The Chocolate Factor remake from 2005 where Charlie’s father’s job at the toothpaste factory was replaced by a machine, when self-checkout at the grocery store became your go-to shopping preference, or when a robot answered the phone and was extremely incompetent at helping you with your tech issue. Humans are being replaced at an alarming rate, and the Coronavirus pandemic has only shifted this process into high gear.
But what is the one thing robots lack? Creativity. You can’t replace the point of view of someone with a creative mindset, whether that is referring to designers, producers, actors, musicians, and even the everyday problem solving that goes into your average role at a company. At Ideaison, we pride ourselves on our ability to mix things up and think outside the box. AI might be proficient in knowledge and aptitude, but when it comes to creativity — humans can never be replaced.
Deepfakes
Imagine you wake up to a video of Joe Biden declaring war on a foreign country being spread at an alarming rate around the internet — one can only imagine the damage that could be done if we as humans are unable to determine the difference between real and fake videos. Fake news has already been infiltrating our favorite social media platforms since the beginning, so thanks to AI, we are at the mercy of harmful bots that super spread false information around the internet with no moral compass or ability to feel remorse.
At the beginning of 2019, there were app 7,964 deepfake videos circulating around the world wide web. According to a study done only 9 months later by a startup called Deeptrace, that number had more than doubled to around 14, 678. As of now in 2021, it is nearly impossible to determine how many fake videos are out there but one thing we know for sure is that they are rising at an alarming rate.
Privacy
When it comes to privacy, AI has a huge impact on our security and safety. Living in the modern world it comes as no surprise that the universe of data doubles every two years and quintillions of bytes of data are generated every day. Our smartphones are getting smarter and this means that so is data mining. Ai controls almost every aspect of our interaction with search algorithms, recommendation engines, and adtech networks.
Do you know how we all use Face ID technology to log into our iPhones without taking a second thought? This is exactly what we are talking about. We know our data is getting mined from social media, but the real thing to keep a lookout for is the less obvious ways AI might be getting to your data — which is nearly impossible to detect at this point.
Bias
Lastly, I wanted to bring attention to how AI, since it was created by humans, is inherently biased. For example, this week, a study found that even music recommendation algorithms are biased, giving female artists less exposure and decreasing their discoverability on platforms. Another example of bias is COMPAS, (Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions) an algorithm used in US court systems to predict the likelihood that a defendant would become a recidivist. Topics including socio-economic status, gender, race, demographics, disabilities, are all subject to AI-driven behavior.
At Ideaison our mission is to produce and market the most innovative experiences on Earth while empowering and representing all people. So when we hear about how technology is inherently biased it really strikes a chord within every member of our team. How are we supposed to break down barriers and shatter glass ceilings with the most powerful force in the entire world is inherently against those who are under-represented? We strongly believe every action counts and by continuing to push for inclusivity and diversity through our RETROSPEKT Festival lineup, the production teams we work with, and our thoughts and actions — we believe we can begin to help start a movement to reverse biases in our world and help those around us feel safe and accepted.
So the question still remains — should we be worried about AI? The short answer is — absolutely.