AI Controversy – embrace artificial intelligence or reject it?

Today Online
May 28
4 min read

• Resolution of AI Conundrum Requires Balanced Approach • Commentary

By Shayaan Khan

Special to Today Magazine

OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research organization, released an application that cemented itself as a tech giant in November 2022. ChatGPT and its other relatives are revolutionary products that have forever changed the way we do things.

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Artificial intelligence is thought of as a nascent technology that has raised many questions in the recent past. When people think about AI, they tend to limit themselves to the more recent forms of the technology. In fact, AI was introduced as a research discipline in 1956 at a program at Dartmouth College called the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence.

AI has existed for quite a long time, so why is it so controversial right now?

To understand why AI is controversial now, it is crucial to know what the debate is about. Some people want to fully adopt artificial intelligence and stop using conventional methods to do things because AI is more efficient in doing work that humans take longer to achieve. The other side argues that AI is malignant and should be eradicated.

It seems that neither side wants to evaluate the pros and cons of the technology. This article aims to do just that with an unbiased approach.

The first faction believes that AI automation should replace people for normal and mundane tasks. These people argue that AI is more efficient than humans for many tasks — therefore, AI should replace humans to perform these tasks to save time.

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The supporters of technological advancements are often people in high ranks who prioritize the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of their workforce. They understandably want their employees to be as efficient as possible so the company has to spend less money on them. If AI-enabled technologies did most of the work, a large number of jobs would be eliminated, and the company would not have to pay for as many employees.

However, in making efficiency the key decision-making factor, these high-ranking officials are hurting people by laying them off and taking on free labor — that is, AI.

The problem with having an AI-heavy workforce is that there wouldn’t be enough opportunities for people to do stock work like data entry, administrative assistance, basic human resources, etc. But this is just the beginning: Artificial intelligence is making huge progress in highly skilled work like disease diagnosis and surgery as well.

The second faction believes that artificial intelligence has a negative impact on society and should be rejected. These people feel that AI reduces creativity and uniqueness, and encourages people to outsource their work without a thought. Creativity is unique. When individuals do not use their own minds, the creativity of their work is harmed.

AI works by analyzing almost everything on the internet to formulate a well-rounded answer. However, in doing so, it is basically copying pieces of other people’s work.

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AI was introduced as a research discipline in 1956 at the Dartmouth Summer Research Project

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This second faction also believes that people will not do work themselves and will instead take the easy route and outsource their work to AI-driven services. The supporters of this ideology tend to be people in the humanities who prioritize the creativity and uniquity of a product. This includes writers, artists, musicians and other creative folks.

Some renowned authors and artists have collectively sued OpenAI for copyright infringements. Many writers also dislike AI for how it can easily generate a piece, but more often than not, the work is mediocre and mashed up — for them, a piece of writing requires uniqueness and a human touch. AI, for now, cannot achieve creative uniqueness.

So far, I have simply stated the views of both sides but have not given my view on the topic. However, I will now share where I stand.

As for the first faction in the AI debate, I believe this opinion is lopsided toward promoting efficiency at the cost of quality. While AI is more efficient than humans, by using it, we can sacrifice the quality and accuracy of the work being produced.

However, the view of the second group is also biased — these people are prioritizing creativity at the cost of efficiency. Requiring people to do all their work without AI impairs their ability to get work done faster, and this can affect deadline targets.

For example, in the case of a slideshow presentation where engaging graphics are critical, using artificial-intelligence tools can improve efficiency and work quality, while someone without expertise in the subject would have to spend hours toiling over the graphics.

Therefore, it’s crucial to understand that AI is a tool — just like computers, calculators and cellphones — and should be used with moderation. AI is useful for brainstorming, creating visuals, etc., but not for cheating on assignments, doing your work or outsourcing work assigned to you.

If AI is used in moderation and for the right goals, it can help further innovation and creativity, and promote a better world. +

Shayaan Khan is a freshman at Simsbury High School — an award-winning writer, he contributed his first article to Today as a fourth-grader

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