Artificial Intelligence…Beam Me Outta Here, Scotty.
As much as I love all things tech, I have a love-hate relationship with Artificial Intelligence.
What is artificial intelligence (AI)?
“Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. Specific applications of AI include expert systems, natural language processing, speech recognition and machine vision.”
When Alexa was introduced in 2014, I purchased one of the first ones. My primary reason was that I was tired of answering all of Larry’s questions…How do you spell ___? What time are the Astros playing today?
In fact, I still have it and Larry and I use it and her “sister” echo devices throughout the house. Alexa plays music on all of the echos which is handy when we have guests over. It turns our lights on and off for us…tells us when a package has arrived…informs us of the weather.
I love what artificial intelligence can help us with. While I don’t know this for a fact, when Larry had surgery in 2017, his neurosurgeon used a computer to map out where he would make his incisions.
And now the big HOWEVER- technology and knowledge in the wrong hands could be used to destroy, harm, and eliminate a person or all mankind.
Even now our young people will probably need reading glasses or bifocals by the time they enter college because their heads are buried in their devices.
Electric cars? I don’t want to be one when it is hacked and trust me…it is just a matter of time.
The new Beatles song created by Sir Paul will have an AI-generated vocal from a 1978 demo John did. So should you pay less for an AI John??
And finally, in April 2023, a mother received a call from her daughter who was in serious danger. The AI-generated voice sounded just like her daughter. A man got on the phone and demanded money from the parents.
All of the benefits of computer intuition, facts, algorithms, and a faster processing speed than our brains, are not to be overlooked…for sure.
One of my biggest concerns about AI is that objects we’ve bestowed AI to could go beyond the intended goal as set forth by the creator.
Googling around, I found an article on Forbes by Christian Randieri in which he said…
AI is “limited because it has difficulty asking questions and seeking new knowledge. It cannot wonder or be curious”(so far.)
If that is true, then it is even more important that we encourage and nurture activities for our children that help to develop these traits.
Finally, I grew up a huge fan of the original Star Trek series. When AI became the buzzword that it is, two episodes stuck in my mind.
The Changeling in which a space probe has been altered and its mission now is to seek out and destroy imperfections. (you can imagine where that leaves us)
Return to Tomorrow where the survivors of an ancient race exist as disembodied energy. They want to use the bodies of part of the crew of the Enterprise to build robot bodies to house their energy. They promise to return their bodies. (yeah..sure)
There are two things on my list of rules (like Gibbs Rules from NCIS)
-Just because you can, doesn’t mean that you should
-Use it or lose it (so don't let things do everything for you lest we end up as a species with shortened arms and legs!)
“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race….It would take off on its own, and re-design itself at an ever-increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete, and would be superseded.”
Stephen Hawking told the BBC
Want to know Elon Musk’s thoughts on Artificial Intelligence?
This is an entry in the June 2023 Challenge-Artificial Intelligence at Home/Work hosted by Kat Palmiotti
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