It’s no hype that AI, the term that stands for Artificial Intelligence, is changing our daily lives more than what we really realise. It has dabbled into everything around us, from homes to hospitals; and schools to workplaces!
Despite this invasion “no one has written one that everyone agrees on” as far as the definition of AI is concerned. The Wikipedia page refers to it as “the intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans.”
According to Britannica, artificial intelligence is the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings.
Another description for AI is “a computer system that can perform tasks that typically requires human intelligence, such as problem-solving, learning and decision-making”.
Though viewpoints by experts and the hype created by vendors to promote their products vary, the fact is that all of us are living with AI-powered technology. In other words, AI has become part of our day-to-day life whether we realise it or not!
Look at healthcare, where various AI systems are used -- both to improve patient care and to advance health research. In fact, as medical experts point out, it helps speed up the search for medical treatments by selecting and testing treatments for a particular disease, which otherwise can take ages to complete.
Similarly, in the education system, AI enables educators to understand students' engagement, learning progress and well-being. It can help fill needed gaps in learning and teaching.
Since the students of today will need to work in a future where AI is the reality, it’s important that our educational institutions expose students to and use the technology.
While AI offers immense potential to improve our lives, it also raises some critical and ethical questions about its future and potential impact on humanity.
Just look at jobs; we find that AI is already replacing some jobs, and this trend is likely to accelerate in the coming years. This can lead to widespread unemployment and economic hardship, particularly for low-skilled workers.
Experts also raise concerns about its potential for use in malicious purposes, such as weaponisation, cyber warfare and mass surveillance, in addition to other issues like its bias and discrimination.
Professional writing, especially content, is another area where AI seemingly poses a threat. The fear is part of apprehensions like, as if writers competing among themselves wasn’t enough already, now you’re also competing with technology.
There is also the possibility of AI producing high-quality content more efficiently than human writers. This thought leaves many writers with the fear of AI replacing them!
Of course, AI has the potential to bring significant changes to the content creation landscape and impact us, the writers.
While it can provide writers with tools to do research, do data analysis, check words, spelling and grammar, and free up more time to focus on the creative aspects of their work, it cannot add personal viewpoints.
This means skilled writing will not go anywhere. After all, AI is not capable of the same level of creativity and emotional depth that human writers are! With any new technology, the key is to adapt to use AI in a way that improves upon the unique strengths of human writers.
One thing is sure: AI is a tool that is becoming more useful and ubiquitous. As Prof Alan Brown reveals in the book, Surviving and Thriving in the Age of AI, “much of what we see today makes AI sound like a cross between magic and science fiction.”
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