Artificial Intelligence: The Future Is Now

By Tadany Cargnin dos Santos

My by-weekly column at Grupo Diário de Santa Maria

_____________

Translate from Portuguese to English by ChatGPT

_____________

Artificial Intelligence, contrary to what many think, is not something new. It has continuously been integrated into human daily life through the use of tools, machines, and software aimed at improving efficiency and optimizing systems.

For example, when we moved from the telegraph to landline phones and then to mobile phones, or when television took up more space than radio, and nowadays, smartphones or tablets have become the most common means of accessing news and entertainment. All of this is part of a system intelligently performing pre-programmed functions.

However, the fascinating development of increasingly powerful computers, with high-performance GPUs and an almost unlimited memory capacity, has enabled the emergence of Machine Learning, Large Language Models, Deep AI, and more recently, Generative AI.

For most people, all of this represents Artificial Intelligence, which inevitably impacts and transforms all aspects of contemporary life, whether in business, industries, governments, healthcare, logistics, education, or even leisure activities.

However, from a general perspective, most people do not fully understand AI. On one side, there is a group of fearful opponents who see AI as a system that will steal most jobs. On the other side, there are overly optimistic supporters who imagine AI as an all-powerful and sentient machine. In between, the majority of people remain unaware of what AI really is, how it works, and what its actual impact will be.

Therefore, it is crucial that people, especially children and young individuals, are educated about AI so that they can understand the real-world applications of this technology, the ethical considerations that need to be addressed, and, most importantly, the potential benefits.

In this Herculean yet essential effort, it is vital to understand that AI is not a super-powerful machine trying to control the world. Instead, it is a powerful tool that mimics human cognitive functions to analyze data, automate tasks, make predictions, and generate content. Moreover, all of this is done through vast amounts of data, algorithms, and sophisticated mathematical models that essentially perform their tasks in a highly efficient computational manner.

That is, when it comes to the social and economic future of any country, it is essential to introduce AI literacy into the educational programs of children, teenagers, and young adults. Otherwise, the grave risk is that we may be preparing workers for a scenario in which their knowledge will become outdated and unnecessary. In other words, the real danger today is that we are educating our society for unemployment.

On the other hand, for businesses today, educating employees about AI is a crucial competitive strategy. Those who understand AI can use these tools to automate repetitive tasks, provide unforgettable customer experiences, refine decision-making processes, reduce costs, improve talent management, and explore countless other possibilities to enhance efficiency, productivity, and scalability.

Finally, it is essential to understand that AI is evolving rapidly. Therefore, with the same determination and progressive scale, we must educate our citizens to avoid irrational fears and unnecessary resistance while also preparing current and future professionals for a reality that is no longer optional but essential.

?

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash