Should we fear AI?

Upon conducting an analysis encompassing social media, writable internet platforms (including blogs, podcasts, vlogs, etc.), and traditional media outlets (such as newspapers, magazines, TV, etc.), one may observe a substantial volume of content that instills fear regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI). This article would like to explore the origins of this apprehension and provide an assessment of the validity of these concerns.

Before proceeding further, it is essential to set a comprehensive definition of AI.

Artificial Intelligence refers to a technology designed to autonomously identify patterns within underlying data, patterns that its creator does not explicitly predetermine.

To comprehend the underlying reasons for apprehension, consider the following points:

1)?Rate of Change: With the accelerating development of technologies and the usage of technologies in society, the rate of adoption of technologies is accelerating.

Here is an illustration demonstrating the increasing rate of adoption of technologies:

The below illustration depicts the varying timelines it took for different technologies to achieve widespread adoption in society.

The most popular AI tool (ChatGPT) took just a few days to reach a user base of 1M.

The evident acceleration in the adoption rate of AI resembles the velocity of a rocket, and this rapid pace of change is causing considerable discomfort among many individuals.

2)?Globalization: Historically, technologies were often adopted in specific geographic regions before gradually spreading to others. However, the globalization of businesses, media, and the widespread accessibility of the internet have dismantled these geographic silos concerning technology adoption. Consequently, technological adoption in global society has witnessed an unprecedented acceleration. This phenomenon has not only eliminated staggered adoption across the globe but has also led to a rapid adoption rate without sufficient implementation of effective regulatory and security safeguards.

3)?Social Media: In recent times few significant changes in society and technological space have occurred.

a.?The advent of social media and the availability of smartphones to the masses has enabled everyone to express ideas and made them available to the whole world.

b.?Algorithms of social media platforms amplify sustained engagement (Ref: https://theconversation.com/social-media-algorithms-warp-how-people-learn-from-each-other-research-shows-211172).

c.?Earlier media was essentially controlled – only a few had the privilege to dissipate the views.

This paradigm change has enabled everyone to express his/her views irrespective of the depth of subject knowledge. ?Coupled with the human desire for 15 minutes of fame (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15_minutes_of_fame) has encouraged lots of people to jump to bad wagons.

4)?Herd Mentality: The emergence of a directional trend in the media often triggers a herd mentality, where individuals tend to follow prevailing narratives. Moreover, numerous religious and spiritual leaders perceive an opportunity to promote their agendas, whether consciously or unconsciously. The dominance of social media further amplifies this effect, as traditional media outlets increasingly draw cues for opinion-making from the dynamics set in motion by social media platforms.

5)?Fear-mongering: Fear serves as a potent motivator and forms the foundation of fearmongering surrounding AI. It is noteworthy that a considerable number of individuals who express opposition to AI are, paradoxically, among the foremost users of AI in their own products and services. Conducting surveys among this demographic could reveal intriguing insights into the apparent contradiction between aversion and practical utilization.

6)?Quantum leap in compute and Big Data: The technological progression of AI is underpinned by two key phenomena: the accessibility of cost-effective computational power and the emergence of Big Data technologies. Regardless of the advent of AI, particularly within the Deep Learning paradigm, the groundwork was laid for the development of technologies aimed at uncovering patterns within underlying data.

Indeed, AI stands as a powerful tool, akin to a new entrant in the technological landscape. It necessitates substantial refinement to ensure security, user-friendliness, and robustness. From my perspective, contemporary AI represents an initial iteration in a series of tools that are yet to be invented and perfected.