AI & Chat GPT

In modern history, we are experiencing the rapid innovation of technology rarely seen outside of fiction. For folks who grew up on Marvel movies and comics, you may recognize Jarvis as Iron Man’s personal computerized assistant. He manages the internal system of the Iron Man suit, capable of muscle recognition, advanced communication, weapons deployment, and more. Jarvis is an ultramodern form of Artificial Intelligence, or AI. According to IBM, AI is the creation of programs that “mimic the problem-solving and decision-making capabilities of the human mind”. In the past decade, we have seen examples of this technology in our lives, such as Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google’s Home and Nest. Like Jarvis, though not as advanced, these devices streamlined everyday activities necessary for our function. However, in fiction and reality, we can see the impacts of these advancements in less helpful ways. In Iron Man’s world, there is the misguided Ultron, an AI machine created to provide Earth with “peace in our time” that became intent on destroying humanity to accomplish it. In our world, we see how technological industrialization is created to improve lifestyle and employment; however, similar to Iron Man, these advancements are more ethically complicated than we think concerning equity, humanity, and justice. ?

At the end of 2022, OpenAI, a research organization launched a new program called ChatGPT. At its core, ChatGPT is designed to use artificial intelligence to dialogue with its users at high speed on various tasks, such as drafting emails, summarizing articles, and coding. This technology is revolutionary, as it provides support at a high level of accuracy per the data collected from innumerable internet resources. Similar technology is used in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, one of the most popular programs being Salesforce. Salesforce launched Einstein GPT in 2023 to help with automating processes that would be otherwise tedious to save employees’ time and improve the client experience. That said, not all businesses and organizations are happy about bringing AI into the workplace. According to an article in The Washington Post, companies are placing bans on employees’ usage of ChatGPT and similar programs. Employers are valid in their concerns regarding data privacy, as the quality of these programs is rooted in data extraction from the internet such as articles, books, and websites. On the other hand, employees expressed how the functionality of ChatGPT helps with managing menial tasks. The dichotomous reaction in the workplace reveals the nuanced nature of AI and begs the question: who was AI made for and why???

Industries such as financial services and healthcare already experience the exciting benefits of AI when it comes to economic consulting and summarizing medical reports. However, it is vital to remember that all things humanmade are prone to human error, and AI technology is uniquely subject to humans’ darkest intentionality. Facial Recognition Technology (FRT), another facet of AI, is an example of this. In an article published in May of 2023, Scientific American found that the FRT equipment used by police disproportionately affects Black people and people with darker skin tones. The technology is more likely to misidentify darker people, which has led to false arrests and increased discriminatory tactics used by police. Racial discrimination is embedded deep in the foundation of America and the rest of the western world. Data gathered from the internet to create bots such as ChatGPT are not devoid of these prejudiced views. John Oliver puts it more succinctly in his comprehensive (and hilarious) review of AI, stating that “biased inputs lead to biased outputs”. As this technology was created to be, quite literally, humanly logical, it means that it is subject to our logical fallacies.??

On October 30th, 2023, President Joe Biden issued an executive order to regulate the use of AI from impeding on civil liberties. This bill is especially significant for Human Resources (HR) departments in the workplace. AI-based resume screening software is increasingly popular amongst companies and organizations. The software intends to filter applicant resumes that match the skillset requirements for the desired position, usually via keywords and phrases. Theoretically, this is a perfect example of how AI is supposed to work for the common good, as it returns significant time to employees usually burdened with the task of reviewing applicant resumes. However, practically speaking, this system is humanly flawed. Derek Mobley, an older Black man with disabilities, applied to 80-100 jobs at companies that used Workday Inc.’s AI screening tools and was denied employment each time. Mr. Mobley then filed a class-action lawsuit against the company, citing that their screening software discriminates “on the basis of race, age, and disability”. There have been other instances of similar software favoring men over women as well.??

This is not a question of, “is AI racist?”. Rather, it boldly shows how AI reflects society. When we think about innovation, we rarely consider the most vulnerable, the most neglected, the most ignored. Instead, we see all the ways this technology can benefit us.??

But who is “us”? ??

“Us” refers to the privileged. “Us” refers to those with resources that are not as widely available as we may believe. AI has undoubtedly made life easier for people with access, and its advancements exclude, and even target, those without. As we technologically progress as a society, I implore readers to consider how this affects more than just yourself. Though innovation has positive implications, we must continue to challenge it in the name of equity.? ?

?As you reflect on the following questions, consider the ethical implications of your answers. Remember, there is no right or wrong, only intentionality.??

1. What does my place of employment know about AI??
2. Are there existing policies or regulations on AI at your place of employment?
3. In what ways do you use AI in the workplace???a. How do your team members use it??b. Who is impacted??
4. In what ways do you engage with AI in your personal life???a. What perspectives and advantages does it add to your life??b. What perspectives and advantages does it remove from your life??