I’ve watched newscasts that tout the danger of artificial intelligence (AI). With available technology, fictitious events might appear to be real. Without laws protecting the general public, AI could create chaos, leading up to war.
Recently, a woman heard her terrified fifteen-year-old daughter’s “voice” crying and saying she was kidnapped. The kidnapper demanded $1 million, but reduced it to $50,000. The woman was able to reach her daughter before paying the ransom. She testified to Congress about how real the AI generated voice sounded and how the kidnapping scam could have succeeded.
A large segment of our society doesn’t trust anything that defies their preconceived beliefs, and now they have a “fall guy” for any opposing viewpoints. It gives new meaning to artificial intelligence when people share, believe, and are swayed by social media posts that have no basis in reality.
Often those that think they are politically savvy base their opinions on sound bites, hyperbolic headlines, from their newsfeeds and slanted political radio, TV, or online stations. We’ve become a country divided and without respect or tolerance for anyone having a difference of opinion.
We used to gain our intelligence through reading textbooks and taking a wide variety of required educational subjects. We watched the nightly local and world news, which wasn’t sugar coated or politically sensationalized.
Now, we’ve replaced real intelligence with artificial intelligence. If we don’t know or can’t remember something we just look it up on a search engine and immediately have the information on our screen.
I’ve been steadily receiving offers that all I need to do is select some key words and AI can prepare a grammar free, perfectly written blog post for me. My first response to that offer was, “What’s the fun in that?” We have spell check, speech to text, and apparently the ability to write essays or blog posts without using an ounce of our own intelligence.
Although artificial intelligence may have negative effects, AI is an essential disease research tool. For example, AI uses an algorithm to compare PET scans to detect subtle changes in the brain that human radiologists could miss. This allows AI to identify whether an individual has the characteristics essential to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease for an earlier diagnosis.
Studies are also being conducted on how AI can help primary caregivers of persons with dementia. Smart home systems and sensors used to track and detect issues as they develop. Technology can be used to offer alerts to assist with cognitive problems and help the caregiver use best practices to cope with the challenges of caring for a person with Alzheimer’s and related dementia.
When used to enhance the human experience, AI is a robust tool. On the flip side, AI is being released for public use faster than safeguards are put into place. Criminals can use AI to impersonate a family member or friend’s voice as a clever way to trick an unsuspecting person into sending money.
As long as we use our God-given intelligence, we can embrace AI for its positive medical research benefits, and learn to verify suspicious activity or events. There’s nothing wrong with verifying information with an internet search, just be aware that social media memes are not a reliable source.
Copyright © June 2023 by L.S. Fisher
http://earlyonset.blogspot.com
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