The era of artificial intelligence (AI) has arrived. From the algorithms that provide us with the content we consume to chatbots like ChatGPT that can be our conversational partners, we see the effects of this technology everywhere. Experts predict that artificial intelligence will become more popular in the coming years. But entrusting various tasks to this technology, what complications will it bring? Is the line between truth and lies disappearing? Will millions lose their jobs?
Judith Simon, a professor of ethics in information technology at the University of Hamburg, said: “It’s hard to say what areas AI won’t affect.” In the following, we discuss four ways in which this technology can change the shape of our society.
Jobs: Artificial intelligence comes to mental tasks
The fastest impact of AI is likely to be felt in the workplace. Goldman Sachs recently predicted in a report that up to 300 million jobs worldwide are likely to be automated, helping the world economy grow.
In the past, it was thought that robots would merely replace people performing physical and unskilled work. As a result, many thought that mental and intellectual occupations were relatively safe. But now it seems that the new generation of generative artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT and Midjourney can do creative things like writing or drawing.
Law firms will use AI to analyze contracts or research legal issues. Media companies have already outsourced some of the work of their writers and reporters to computers. Film production companies and advertising agencies also use artificial intelligence, for example, to produce music.
“No job is safe,” says Simon. “Whenever a job or a part of it includes repetitive patterns, the job itself or a part of it can easily be entrusted to the machines.” And although increased productivity could lead to reduced working hours, Simon doubts this will happen in practice: “Technology in general has always been sold on the promise of reducing the amount of work, but that has never happened in practice.”
Intellectual Property: Who Owns Artificial Intelligence Works?
The rise of artificial intelligence is forcing societies to re-examine intellectual property laws and possibly enact new laws. These rules exist for the protection of textual, image, video, etc. works, and in case of their unauthorized use, they come to the aid of the owner of the work.
But what happens when AI produces a text, song or logo? Who owns the copyright of the work? Programmers, the AI systems themselves, or no one? And what happens to the works that were used to produce these tools?
“This is a very difficult question,” says Timo Roos, professor of computer science at the University of Helsinki. Artificial intelligence systems such as ChatGPT do not generate effects from wind. They have been trained by receiving huge amounts of text, songs, images, paintings and videos, and now the creators of those works are threatening.
Resistance to this technology is increasing. Some people and companies have filed complaints in this field to clarify the boundaries. For example, Getty Images has sued Stability AI for using about 12 million images to train its AI. In another case, a group of California artists sued Midjourney and DeviantArt for copyright infringement.
Misinformation: An era of uncertainty is upon us
One of the main concerns of experts is the spread of false information by artificial intelligence. Considering that it has become very difficult to distinguish real content from fake content, it can be assumed that in the future there will be less reliable information.
Earlier, even Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT developer OpenAI, warned that artificial intelligence could be used to spread disinformation on a large scale.
Noting that disinformation is already being produced and disseminated by organized networks, Timo Roos warned of the future: “If this could ever be automated on a large scale, it would raise a whole new level of concern.”
Automated Decisions: What if the Computer Says No?
Companies, organizations and governments are increasingly looking to use artificial intelligence to automate decision-making processes. Some of these decisions can have irreparable consequences on people’s lives. For example, a computer might interview recruits and even appear as a judge.
“This is something that we need to be particularly careful about and use AI responsibly,” says Selina Bottino, director of projects at the Institute of Technology and Society in Rio de Janeiro.
Today’s AI systems analyze a lot of data in order to make predictions. This mechanism makes these systems work very effectively in some cases. But studies have shown that this technology can be prone to repeating many biases and discriminations in society.
In a study in collaboration with Columbia University, NJV Bottino has found that the use of artificial intelligence in decision-making can help improve Brazil’s judicial system. “There are many opportunities where artificial intelligence can really come to the aid of judicial processes and help facilitate the decision-making process while increasing their speed,” he says.
Still, Buttino cautioned that AI systems should never be solely responsible for making fundamental decisions: “When it comes to who should have the final say, I don’t think we can or should replace humans with machines.”
What do you think about the effects of artificial intelligence on the future of societies and human life? Which aspect of this technology are you most concerned about? Share your views with us.
