Blog #10: AI

The Age of Artificial Intelligence

Blog #10

The 21st century has been a turning point in terms of electronics and media. Between new video games and consoles, different phones being designed nearly monthly, software updates, the list is endless as to what inventions we've seen in the short amount of time. However, the most intriguing new invention, in my opinion, would definitely be artificial intelligence.

What Is AI?

Artificial Intelligence, also know as AI, is the use of computers and technology to almost replace what humans have been doing all this time. For example; self driving cars. You may think, why do I need a machine to drive my car for me? Well in this case it would be more beneficial for truck drivers and delivery people due to the long, tiring hours and it would also reduce crash numbers. AI is a system that is based on data, therefore the more data it has, the better it works. In the video we watched in class, we saw artificial intelligence being used for a certain game play, which they described as "one type of intelligence beating another." 

Pros & Cons

While self driving cars and voice activated technology may be exciting, there are also downsides to be considered when it comes to these advancements. The bottom line is, jobs are being taken away, and not just that but women's' jobs in particular. Women are at higher risk for losing their job to artificial intelligence because females are more often seen in jobs such as teachers, cashiers, and nurses. It is true that men make up more than 90% of truck drivers and manual laborers, they are still less at risk considering AI won't completely eliminate jobs but rather take away certain tasks.

 From a business stand point, artificial intelligence is going to be amazing because it will maximize the objective function therefore bringing in more money. If you are having a machine produce products at a faster rate, for less money, obviously you will need less employees resulting in the need to pay fewer salaries. When we get into the security aspect of AI, it becomes complicated. Machines are already tracking our media and technology use in order to do things like produce more appropriate ads and things oof that nature. Your digital exhaust, which is the traces left behind on the internet can be see by computer engineers and those in the technological profession, in order t adapt and grow the products used. What most people don't know is that is not the only thing being tracked. We are seeing a growth in facial tracking and recognition. Since the technology is ever-changing and continuously growing, we don't know how private our private lives will soon be. This could be both good and bad. For example, if there is a wanted murderer roaming the streets, we are going to want every single detail about their life, where they are, who they're with, what their buying, what they look like, etc.. On the other hand, I as a harmless college student don't need a hacker getting into my computer for private information and changing up my own personal data. It is both an exciting and terrifying thing to think about the possibilities that technology has, but my hope is that developers find a good medium and don't push the limits too far.