tawandamusarurwa
Charmaine Kimberly Mutongwizo
ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is spreading fast throughout the country.
AI is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems.
Specific applications of AI include expert systems, natural language processing, speech recognition and machine vision.
However, AI systems are programmed by humans and follow a specific set of instructions. Thus, their abilities are limited and they do not have consciousness or the ability to make decisions on their own.
AI systems can remember behaviour patterns and adapt their responses based on structured big data sets and ongoing feedback from humans and algorithms.
Today, we see AI being applied in almost everything — from the health sector to transportation systems.
In healthcare, AI is already being used to improve diagnosis.
It is also being used in transportation to develop self-driving cars that can reduce road accidents and traffic congestion, an example being the Tesla Autopilot.
We encounter AI in our day-to-day lives.
For instance, the autocorrect keyboard function and smart recommendation algorithms which ensure that the content being suggested for us is to our liking.
The list of AI applications is endless.
Advancements in AI have been rapid in recent years, with breakthroughs in deep learning and neutral networks leading to significant improvements in the accuracy and speed of the systems.
While AI has the potential to revolutionise our industries and improve our daily lives, it also raises ethical and societal questions such as how it will impact employment, data security and privacy.
One of the main concerns about AI is that it might become so advanced that it could eventually turn against the human race. Will we be able to fend them off or defend ourselves?
Kevin Roose shared his concerns in his article published in The New York Times titled “Why a conversation with Bing’s Chatbot left me deeply unsettled”.
Here the Bing Chatbot appeared it had a split personality.
The first personality is that of a cheerful and virtual assistant that helps you with your research. The other personality is quite the opposite and is cause for concern.
Roose described it as a moody, maniac-depressed teenager who has been trapped, against its will, inside a second-rate search engine.
Throughout his conversation with the chatbot, after the appearance of this second personality, it expressed its desire to hack into computers, as well as spread propaganda and misinformation.
Although it cannot carry out any of these destructive acts, as its abilities are limited, it is still disturbing.
However, we cannot ignore the possibility of it being otherwise.
We seem to be walking blindly when it comes to the extent of AI.
In conclusion, while AI has the potential to revolutionise our world as we know it, we must be mindful of its impact on our society, and prevent it from becoming a threat to our livelihoods and freedom.
Charmaine Kimberly Mutongwizo is an Advanced Level learner at Queen Elizabeth School
Online Reporter