A.I.: Has the Caveman Rediscovered Fire?

 A.I.: Has the Caveman Rediscovered Fire?

Today I wanted to talk about AI. What is it? Why is it the new buzz industry on Wall Street? Can it really destroy our society? All of these are valid questions. I will do my absolute best to explain A.I. easily and hopefully answer the questions above. We will start with what A.I. is.

A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) is a computer program that takes in data(inputs) and analyzes the data and offers suggestions to coincide with whatever it is that you are looking for(output). The way A.I. works is the program takes a series of algorithms and receives data. From the data, the algorithms tell the program which decisions to make to process(condense) the data. Then another series of algorithms will further disseminate the data and the program will eventually whittle down the data to your answer. Where A.I. gets interesting is when they can store data from other users or outside sources to come to decisions faster. Interesting concept, but why is A.I. dominating the news and financial markets?

Simply put, A.I. is believed to be the next technology that is needed in industry to compete. Notice that I said “needed,” not wanted. “Needed,” denotes that companies will have no other option but to invest in and utilize A.I. to stay competitive. Here is a fun fact, most companies already use some form of A.I. whether it be through a CRM system (Customer Relationship Management), database management, or drafting technologies in the industrial space. When a product or service is needed and not just wanted that means that it is a core piece of corporate expenses and those expenses flow to providers who will then have greater profits and better bottom lines. All that sounds great, doesn’t it? Putting more money into a new sector that offers growth potential for an exceptionally long time is the description of a preferred investment for retirement. Do you know who else operates in the “need,” versus “wants,” business? The drug cartels of the world. We can see the effect of that business on our society all the time.

So, can A.I. destroy society as we know it? In a word absolutely. A.I. can destroy our society but only through those that would abuse the system for that aim. According to the Guardian, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, warned that A.I. can be used to create disinformation. A.I. is also becoming smarter scoring a 90% on the U.S. Bar exam and scoring a near perfect score on the high school SAT math test. How do we stop A.I. or those using A.I. from hurting us? Easy, regulate it and make sure that those regulations have teeth. Something you can do is request a real discussion around A.I. from your congress person. You can also elect leaders who share your concern and align with your belief on A.I. and other key determinates of everyday life for you.

The bottom line, though we may feel that we have rediscovered the wheel or found the next revolution in technology, we need to be cautious. I am willing to bet that when fire was discovered by our species, there were more than a few Neanderthals that were burned on accident. My advice is to research A.I. more. Not only the alarmist or the pessimist points of view. Instead focus your research on how it can be used to hurt society or people then know that someone may use it for that purpose. Try to understand where the regulation is headed. If it is not heading anywhere or your congressperson is disinterested, you should contact them directly and ask why they believe A.I. is not a priority. On the positive side, examine how A.I. can help industry and where it would be utilized. A.I. can also facilitate things like disease management, innovative machines to help people, and allow us to understand ourselves better physically. The question there becomes “why are we not propping up these capabilities of A.I.?”