Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant and your phone -- robots that can perform a multitude of functions even better than humans. Programmed in a way that allows them to learn, think creatively and even make decisions, artificial intelligence is essential in the transformation to the digital world, which is currently an EU priority. However, with benefits also come the drawbacks, and the primary disadvantage of the AI-powered systems is their threat to our democracy.
Imagine this: it is a rainy day, and you are out with friends in a café, sipping a double espresso before the window. You look at a bystander and think of their umbrella - it has math formulas and looks eccentric. You find this design interesting, and turn to your friends saying that you wish to find a similar product on Amazon. Well, you would not need to search for it yourself, since your phone has already “heard” everything and will display “strange umbrellas “ as ads. While this situation may look beneficial, it concerns many due to the fact that it violates human rights by invading privacy. Moreover, some even suspect that voice-tracking might be used by governments to “spy” on citizens.
Another example of misuse of the AI is data collection. People scroll endlessly through Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok or any other app without realizing that every post they like, every comment they make is being captured in order for the system to promote similar posts over and over again. This might also be used in the creation of echo-chambers –- environments where people only encounter information that resembles or accurately reflects their own. Also called “cultural tribalism”, this phenomenon creates addiction in people, and businesses might take advantage of people’s dependence on technologies in order to make more profit.
Finally, the use of AI significantly eliminates workspace. Currently, 14% of OECD countries are highly automated, and another 32% are expected to undergo such changes. A large proportion of jobs, such as customer service executives, bookkeepers, proof-readers and retail services are already substituted by intelligent systems. In the future, it is expected that taxi and bus drivers, soldiers, and security guards will eventually be replaced by self-operating cars and robots.
Now, where does the issue stem from? It is reasonable to conclude that people, specifically adults over 50 years old, are mostly unaware about what AI is and how it functions. Consequently, fewer people trust technologies powered by AI. For this purpose, it is crucial to educate the public about artificial intelligence by adding this as either an independent subject or topic to school curriculum.
However, what remains unsolvable at the moment is the job concern. Will millions of people be unemployed or find alternatives? For now, it is a matter of time that will decide our future.
*This article was written thanks to the help of EYP members.
Gulchin Aliyeva, April 2022
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