Will Artificial Intelligence Help or Hurt the Future of Society?

The term Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been very popular throughout the 21^st century, but many people do not know what AI really is. Artificial Intelligence allows machines to learn from experience by using an input and output formula. Some examples of Artificial Intelligence are technologies such as the Amazon Echo, Apple’s Siri, the computer playing you in chess and even advertisements which target an individual’s personal preference. In a recent article in Fortune Magazine, artificial intelligence was once again taken to a level in which no one could have ever imagined. Columbia Researchers developed a technology which used artificial intelligence – such as the computer algorithm like Amazon Echo or Apple’s Siri that can learn to recreate speech from recordings – and speech synthesizers to translate one’s thoughts into words. This new technology was formed to read the brain activity of a listening patient, then reiterates what the patient heard with clarity.

As the article says, “this is never before seen technology” and can change the lives of many individuals. Such as many new developing technologies have caused many concerns, this technology as well raises concerns because it can cause both a positive and negative effect on the future of society. This new technology will become a positive breakthrough for the medical industry. There are many people in the world who have lost their ability to speak due to strokes, ALS, MS, etc. This technology will enable them to speak again by using their own thoughts, emotions, and feelings.

Furthermore, the concept of technology acknowledging and processing thoughts and emotions, then ultimately outputting a behavior based on those emotions and thoughts can become very unsettling for humans. For over a decade, humans were beginning to accept the growth of Artificial Intelligence within the market place and society because it always lacked the one aspect that differentiated humans from computers, which was the ability for humans to acquire emotions and feelings. Humans start to become skeptical of artificial intelligence because it is hard for humans to allow themselves to trust technology and to even believe that a machine can be as intelligent as a human being. This is where the technology’s ability to experience emotion and thoughts will cause the negative effects in society. Although this technology may have some beneficial aspects it may become a disruptive technology because of its ability to portray the one aspect that divided humans and AI. This technology may cause a negative impact on the job employment by using it within robots and computers and ultimately taking the place of humans. By using this system jobs will be completed much quicker and more efficient with the same or even better experience a human would have made for the customer.

Sources:

http://fortune.com/2019/01/30/columbia-ai-speech-synthesizer-translate-thoughts/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2018/07/06/do-you-fear-artificial-intelligence-will-take-your-job/#4e14caf11aa3

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-37359-z

https://futureoflife.org/background/benefits-risks-of-artificial-intelligence/