The Development of Artificial Intelligence: Honestly, I'm Anxious

In early 2023, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT to the public to assist with a variety of "thinking" tasks using Artificial Intelligence technology. While some people believe that creative jobs will not easily be replaced by expensive robots, we must recognize that this technology, which Elon Musk calls a 'smart human,' poses a significant threat to creative minds given its current capabilities, speed, access, and effectiveness.

Initially, concerns about AI usage were predominantly heard from the education sector, where students could use the software to complete assignments such as essays and summaries. In a Vox interview, it was revealed that this led to a breach of trust and a compromise of integrity among students. However, teachers also benefit from AI for creating questions and grading tasks. On the contrary, Sal Khan argues that AI will revolutionize education by creating personalized learning experiences for students. Amid this education crisis, schools must quickly figure out how to maintain their goal of training young minds to think creatively and critically and to increase their brain's neuroplasticity. Moreover, teachers must motivate their pupils and make learning a fun experience so that the positive aspects of AI can be utilized correctly before it adversely affects the quality of education.

Increasingly, people are concerned about AI's ability to replace workers who are typically paid to think, brainstorm, generate creative ideas, and write.  AI can assist copywriters by expanding their main ideas into scripts and other forms of content. Additionally, it is capable of accurately translating articles and has already begun to replace translation jobs worldwide. While many view AI as a helpful tool that requires human prompts to function, it's important to note that AI is not yet as advanced as the human brain in terms of initiative and creativity. However, it's uncertain if this mindset will remain relevant in the coming years.

Unfortunately, many do not realize that the data they input into AI, including ideas and corrections, is used to train the machine, potentially enabling it to replace their jobs in the future. Although there is an option to opt out of content being used for training ChatGPT, we can't be sure if this policy is consistently enforced. Recently, a Twitter post by Joanna Maciejewska sparked a discussion when she mentioned preferring AI to handle chores like laundry and dishes, so she could focus on art and writing. As an aspiring writer early in my career, it's indeed frightening to think that AI could potentially replace my job in less than ten years.

According to Jonas Andrulis, CEO of ALEPH ALPHA, in an interview for DW Documentary, many AI developer tech companies are racing to sell their technology to businesses needing solutions for complex industrial tasks. His company highly respects client privacy, so we don't know how advanced AI is behind the scenes. While ChatGPT is a remarkable technology, the prospect of it becoming even more powerful in the future is daunting. Yuval Noah Harari often emphasizes the need for governments and politicians to create laws and regulations for this rapidly evolving technology. However, creating a bill for the use and access of AI requires thorough research and discussion, which are currently limited due to AI's fast learning speed. According to Politico, the White House Chief of Staff's office has been holding multiple meetings about AI each week. This is concerning since we don't know if leaders in other countries are dedicating the same level of attention to this issue.

As members of the creative industry, we see AI as a threat to our jobs, much like nuclear technology poses a threat to humanity. We hope that the access and development of AI can be responsibly managed by governments and other stakeholders to ensure a brighter future for all.

Sources:

DW Documentary. AI Supremacy: The Artificial Intelligence Battle between China, USA and Europe | DW Documentary. 2024. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le122vas9aM.

TED. How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education | Sal Khan | TED. 2023. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJP5GqnTrNo.

Vox. AI Can Do Your Homework. Now What? 2023. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEJ0_TVXh-I.