By Eeva Tudor
A.I. (or artificial intelligence) is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. As technology advances, we need to understand the advantages, disadvantages and inevitable risks that come with this amazing advancement and how to safeguard important data.
On 16th August 2023, Snapchat’s A.I. went rogue and posted to stories. Although Snapchat confirms it was only a glitch, this could be cause for concern. Is Snapchat A.I. getting out of control? Snapchat users report exchanges with the A.I. to be “creepy”. Other functions that unsettle snapchat users are its ability to see your location, even if you have blocked the “Snapmaps” function, as the information ‘might take a little while to reach the A.I.’, along with the lack of privacy as the company can see each interaction and the inability to delete the function without paying for a premium subscription.
On a more positive note, A.I. can have many advantages, including: saving time when writing, automating repetitive tasks and streamlining processes. In the hands of people who have good intentions, A.I. can be an efficient tool to better experiences when using search engines, typing and proof-reading.
But what about A.I. “art”? Whether A.I. generated images deserve the title of “art” is a highly debated topic, some claim that since it requires no real creativity or the emotional depth human artists can provide and the use of other artists’ work that it is undeserving of being called art, whereas some others state that it can be classed as “real” art because copyright laws only extend to humans.
Other problems that could stem from a more vastly popularised use of A.I. Art are the issues of cultural appropriation and inadvertently perpetuated biases because if the data it is trained from mainly reflects certain demographics and artistic traditions, the A.I.-based material is likely to reinforce those stereotypes or biases.
For many decades, humans have been concerned about robots going rogue and taking control of the planet. In the past we dismissed these ideas as unfounded and irrational. As technology progresses, are these fears beginning to seem more rational and realistic?
To protect ourselves, we should avoid sharing sensitive details like our full name, address, phone number or financial information unless we trust the platform and know how they handle personal data. Take the time to review and adjust privacy settings on A.I. platforms according to your comfort level and use strong, unique passwords across all of your accounts. An example of a strong password is “*-t£q!l@-Backw@rd$-*” because it includes: random words, a mix of capitals, lowercase letters and special characters.
No doubt computers are more powerful at giving us answers faster than human brain power, but are they more capable? That's what people worry about. But no, A.I. will most likely not take over the world. Movies like I, Robot are science fiction, with an emphasis on the word fiction. Although some think that it's possible, it would still take a long time. Many believe that it will be developed enough within the next few decades. Half of the experts gave a date before 2061, and 90% gave a date within the next 100 years.
In conclusion, an A.I. takeover is highly unlikely but we should still watch ourselves around A.I. in regards to passwords and sensitive information as it can be dangerous in other ways.
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