Written by: Yawat Malla - 24049, Grade XI
Posted on: 01 March, 2023
The development of Artificial Intelligence has been a very intriguing topic for many people; especially in the present time, we are in a world where we are so deeply involved with artificial intelligence without even knowing it. To take a few examples, AI decides what ads we see in Facebook and Instagram, what videos we would like to see next in YouTube and TikTok as well as what we would like to purchase in Daraaz. There are even more fascinating AI-based bots like ChatGPT and Midjourney which have set a new age of AI in today’s world. Chess engines like Stockfish have grown to the stage that even the best chess grandmasters can’t win a single game against it. These are only a few of the many examples of AI, and day by day the world is being more dependent on Artificial Intelligence.
People often fear AI due to their unmatchable self-learning capacity. It is not unusual to be amazed by how efficiently and quickly an AI can learn things which human beings will never be able to match. The process of teaching a program how to stuff things in an automated way is called machine learning. Basically, machine learning is the main tool which teaches the AI how to behave in different situations and what to do. For example, the AI in a self-driving car learns when to turn right and when to turn left by analyzing various images fed in by the programmer. Machine learning simply automates this process so that the AI becomes self-sufficient to read the situation and act accordingly. Due to this whole thing, AI can learn things a lot faster than human beings can do.
But will AI really grow into a stage where it may be able to annihilate or enslave the human race? It may sound like an exaggeration but if AI is not created, developed, and applied appropriately, it may end up being harmful to people, just like Frankestein. AI systems may be able to make choices and take actions that could have unforeseen consequences for people as they become more complex and evolved. If its goals are not properly linked with human values and interests, an AI system may operate in ways that are detrimental to people in order to achieve its goals. Similarly, AI systems may have unintentional negative effects on people, such as creating biases or fostering discrimination. AI is definitely a powerful tool but criminals may use this as an advantage to harm others by cyberattacks, creating autonomous weapons and many more. But it is a relief that most people or organizations that are working on this technology are doing their best to ensure that AI is used in an ethical manner so that it will not pose danger to any group of people. So, for the time being, we are on the safer side but who knows what the future might hold…
