The AI Society: Bridging Worlds
Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Our Lives, Ethics, and Future Generations
In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, artificial intelligence (AI) stands at the forefront, heralding a new epoch—the AI society. This era, marked by the pervasive influence of AI, isn't just a shift in technological capability but a transformation of our very fabric of life. The recent insights from a Microsoft Research video underscore the profound implications of Generative AI (Gen AI) on our societal constructs, compelling us to ponder the world our children will navigate. As we delve into this transformative period, it becomes imperative to understand not only the mechanics of Gen AI but also its societal, ethical, and personal ramifications.
But the biggest question is: are we ready to use AI as a society?
Understanding Gen AI
The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved significantly since its inception in the mid-20th century when pioneers like Alan Turing laid the groundwork for what would become a defining pursuit of human ingenuity. The journey of AI from theoretical computations to practical applications has been marked by remarkable milestones, including the establishment of AI as a distinct field at the Dartmouth Conference in 1956, to the development of early natural language programs in the 1960s and 1970s. However, it was the advent of deep learning and the exponential increase in computational power in the 21st century that truly catapulted AI into a new era. The introduction of large language models (LLMs), particularly the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) series by OpenAI, has marked a pivotal moment in AI's history. First announced in 2022, GPT and similar models have democratized access to powerful AI tools, making it possible for individuals to generate text, code, and even art with unprecedented ease. These models, trained on vast datasets from the internet, can understand context, generate coherent and often insightful responses, and have been integrated into a wide array of applications, fundamentally changing how we interact with technology. This transformation has ushered in the era of Gen AI, a generation for whom AI is not just a tool but a ubiquitous, integral part of daily life. As we navigate this new landscape, it's crucial to reflect on AI's journey—from Turing's theoretical machines to today's LLMs—and consider how this history shapes our understanding of AI's potential and its challenges.
This is a brief history of AI which currently could be used by everyone who has internet access. All of us are familiar with ideas like Gen Z, Gen Y, etc. but in my opinion, we could start to treat ourselves as Gen AI. Society powered by artificial intelligence.
Let’s jump quickly to the end of 2023… Where new concepts start they live AI Assistants.
The Rise of AI Assistants
This fast-evolving technology gives us many opportunities to make our lives better and easier one of them is AI-powered assistants. AI assistants, once a futuristic concept, are now integral to the lives of the Gen AI populace, providing personalized support across various domains, including education, career planning, and mental health. As we could read in the Forbes article we can start using AI Therapists right now which help us daily.
Would you feel more comfortable talking to a robot than a human when unloading your deepest and most personal feelings?
Chatbots are increasingly being used to offer advice and a line of communication for mental health patients during their treatment. They can help with coping with symptoms, as well as look out for keywords that could trigger a referral and direct contact with a human mental healthcare professional.
With their capacity to streamline tasks and augment decision-making, these digital companions represent a significant shift in our interaction with technology. I also use such dedicated assistants in many places of my life, one of them is GitHub Copilot which helps me in my coding tasks or architecture tasks, from another perspective I create my personalized Mentor Writer which helps and coaches me in my writing skills.
From my perspective, those tools are helpful even more than we think but the biggest problem which I have with them is a permanent Internet connection. I think that right now I’m pretty good at the usage of GitHub Copilot and every day I learn new things about him. What I noticed from the perspective of a Technical Leader is the fact that IT people are not familiar with this tool and don’t use or even experiment with it.
However, this symbiosis introduces complex questions about autonomy, privacy, and the nuanced boundaries between humans and machines. It could be even more futuristic and complicated if we start thinking about what Neuralink is doing.
Create a generalized brain interface to restore autonomy to those with unmet medical needs today and unlock human potential tomorrow.
We are coming to the topic of ethical dilemmas…
Navigating Ethical Dilemmas
Where there is great power, there is great responsibility.
Winston Churchill
Those tools are really powerful however we need to remember that power should be used carefully. We are in the early days of AI in a form that we are using currently and already we have problems with fake news, phone calls which have sounded like President Obama, etc. When we are using artificial intelligence we should think about transparency, accountability, and governance. Already many companies have begun to implement mechanisms to watermark AI-generated content.
From another perspective, we have cases like Open AI vs the New York Times. I think that upcoming years will be full of such cases and we need to learn how to deal with them effectively. In my day-to-day learning, I would like to play with Microsoft AI Content Safety to check how we can monitor our systems.
Empowering the Workforce of Tomorrow
Because I’m the father of two teenagers and my responsibility in the company is to hire and build teams I also looking on perspective how AI especially AI assistants could help the workforce with their daily tasks. However, what I’m observing is that young people are not familiar with tools like ChatGPT or GitHub Copilot but the amount of those tools is getting bigger every day. Let's educate our society on how to use them effectively is a crucial task in our society right now.
I’m observing that currently on the internet there are a lot of courses on how to write prompts effectively etc. but this is not enough.
Cultivating Responsible AI Citizenship
The journey toward fostering a generation of responsible AI citizens hinges on comprehensive education that extends beyond technical proficiency. It necessitates a deep understanding of AI's societal impacts, ethical considerations, and the collective responsibility in shaping its trajectory. This final section will advocate for a multidisciplinary approach to AI education, encouraging a culture of ethical inquiry, critical thinking, and active participation in the discourse surrounding AI and its role in society.
Conclusion
As we stand on the precipice of the AI society, the path forward is laden with both promise and challenge. It beckons us—parents, educators, policymakers, and technologists—to shepherd the Gen AI generation through this uncharted territory with foresight, empathy, and a steadfast commitment to ethical stewardship. Embracing the era of Gen AI demands more than passive acceptance; it calls for active engagement, critical reflection, and collective action to ensure a future where technology amplifies our humanity, fosters inclusivity, and propels us toward a more equitable, thoughtful, and interconnected world.
Reference
Keynote: Research in the Era of AI - Microsoft Research
AI In Mental Health: Opportunities And Challenges In Developing Intelligent Digital Therapies
Neuralink’s First-in-Human Clinical Trial is Open for Recruitment | Blog | Neuralink