The Dangers of AI (by Akira Lewis)

The Rise 

For decades, artificial intelligence, otherwise known as AI, has been on the rise. The development of these technologies brings along excitement, mistreatment, and of course, questions. Those questions being: Is artificial intelligence necessary for human advancement? What is the true potential of AI? What are the dangers that come with it?

The mystery of artificial intelligence makes it difficult to pinpoint the answers to these questions. Despite its potential for destruction, AI seems to have grown overnight, meeting the demand for easily accessible information. With this sudden growth, however, we still don’t know what possibilities are in store for the future. With a lack of knowledge on its capabilities, we can’t fully grasp its dangers. Further, the rate at which AI is growing makes it seem that we won’t be able to understand its risks until it is too late.

It should be noted that, when analyzing these questions, the true answers lie in individualized opinion. A growing technology with so much power must be approached with caution, for it can be dangerous to many aspects of society. After all, the progress of these technologies can be detrimental to the identification of what is real and what is not. 

Potential Benefits 

There is no doubt that AI has the potential to aid in our everyday lives. These technologies are intended to make life easier, providing services ranging from spell check and “AI-powered boosts” on Google to AI customer service reps. The age of artificial intelligence has sparked excitement and curiosity in people all over the world, especially from those desperately seeking shortcuts in their lives. AI has made its way into our everyday lives, and many are unknowingly grateful for it. However, dependency on those shortcuts has made it difficult for people to employ patience, critical thinking skills, and creativity. 

The Fall of Our Traits

Despite being a human invention, AI has spiraled out of our control. These developments were never necessary in the advancement of humankind; AI was created to aid in our daily lives – not to command the ways in which we think and act. Nowadays, AI is seen almost everywhere, making it practically inescapable. 

The extensive use of AI has muddled the differentiations between humans and robots. However, the human ability to feel and create still far surpasses the work of any artificially intelligent being. Our basic emotions and experiences shape who we are and inspire us daily to write, perform, create art, and empathize with the world and beings surrounding us. These technological advancements are beginning to rob us of our unique characteristics. Choosing to use these technologies results in the degradation of the soul and the increase of laziness in our kind. Our society has become too dependent on AI, and as a result, many people struggle to even write a simple paragraph. Additionally, patience has been running out as many expect the quickness of an AI’s results outside of its usage. 

Aside from writing, artificial intelligence has proven to make “art.” Its creations consist of compiling uncredited artists’ works. When it does generate its “art” according to the given prompt, the end result is a piece lacking in creativity and ultimately, devoid of the soul that only human effort can produce.  After all, art is powerful because of the emotions and experiences that drive it. A true artist looks deep within themselves or examines the life around them in order to produce a unique narrative on a certain topic. The connection between the art and the artist gives it life, making the creation worthy of attention, whether it’s directed towards a small audience or the whole world. The lack of emotion and the frequent stealing seen in AI mean that its “art” will never be truly beautiful. Without those true aspects, people can’t connect with what it produces. Further, the rise of this “art” is detrimental to real artists’ hopes, dreams, and motivations. Many are starting to turn away from real people’s time-consuming creations, choosing the quicker route of generating images using AI. As AI tools continue to evolve, it will become more and more difficult to judge the real from the fake.

The generating aspects of AI can also be dangerous to human relationships. While not widely known or acknowledged, artificial intelligence is often used for generating ideal partners and mimicking aspects of potential love interests. This can create unrealistic standards for people seeking actual relationships, as they can not compare in body, mind, or soul to a fake AI that a person has become attached to. If they fail to meet those standards, how can true human connection flourish? 

What Does the Future Hold? 

It seems that almost anything can be created and/or controlled by artificial intelligence. This fact might prove to be a danger for the people of tomorrow. Gen Z and upcoming generations are both lucky and unlucky in their ability to recognize AI. It seems that members of older generations may have trouble understanding and identifying these technologies, leaving younger generations to guide education surrounding these systems. Every day, developers work on making AI stronger, to the point of absolute reliability. 

As AI further infiltrates society, it also begins to pose a serious threat to job availability. Eventually, artificial intelligence will replace our workers, leading to higher unemployment and homelessness. Earning a living while in competition with AI workers of the future may become nearly impossible. Also, when considering relationships, the promotion of unrealistic AI images and chatbots may warp the standards, specifically for women, further intensifying the gap between expectations and reality.  We must all be cautious and aware of these dangers to ensure that the integration of AI into human society does not reach a point of no return.