Introduction
The article ‘We Need to Talk About How Good AI Is Getting’ by Kevin Roose focuses on how recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have affected many spheres of society. It explores how AI is being used in creative and practical ways, such as in creating artwork, computer code, and even human communication. The possibility for synthetic propaganda, deepfakes, and non-consensual pornography, among other ramifications, are also discussed.
This article’s rhetorical situation is that the author describes the development of AI technology (its opportunities and the hazards) to the general audience. Based on my overall evaluation, the article offers a detailed summary of the present status of AI and its possible consequences. It is well-researched and presents a fair perspective on the optimistic vs. skeptical argument. This publication equally calls to action for regulators, tech businesses, and the media to take artificial intelligence seriously and to modify the mental models to accommodate the new AI robots. AI introduction has been beneficial in a few ways but also has limitations that should not be ignored.
Summary of the Article’s Key Points
Bright Sides of AI
AI’s Rapid Advancements and Expanding Capabilities
The article thoroughly summarizes the present status of artificial intelligence and its prospective consequences and enlists three main points. Firstly, art, language, and code-writing are among the areas of excellence in AI. Ms. Cotra’s statement supports this point, “AI systems can go from adorable and useless toys to powerful products in a surprisingly short time” (Roose 10). This quote demonstrates how rapidly AI systems may become strong and helpful, sometimes in less time than anticipated.
For example, DeepMind’s AlphaFold solved the protein-folding problem quickly, a challenge that has long confounded molecular scientists (Roose 5). Similarly, OpenAI’s GPT-3 can produce scripts, marketing emails, and video games in a reasonably short period, while Copilot expedites programmers’ work by automatically completing code snippets. This fast advancement of AI has transformed conversations in Silicon Valley, prompting many specialists to predicting that massive changes are imminent.
AI’s Humanlike Text Interactions and Remaining Limitations
Secondly, AI is becoming more capable of text interactions that resemble those of humans, and people can now distinguish between the two. The article backs up this point by mentioning, “And now you are looking at stuff that is AI-generated and saying, …I am enjoying reading this…” (Roose 8). Apart from these AI advocations, many still believe AIs are not the best way to handle activities. These skeptics still believe in humans more than AI, “…skeptics who say claims of AI progress are overblown. They will tell you that AI is still nowhere close to replacing humans…” (Roose 10).
AI technology enables computers to process large amounts of data quickly and accurately. Still, it cannot interface with the physical world in the way humans do and make connections that require creative thought. In addition, AI software is often brittle; a slight change in a circumstance requiring any degree of complexity could render their responses ineffectual. AI can be an incredible tool when used correctly, but its limitations prevent it from entirely replacing humans as reliable jobholders.
Embracing AI Amid Uncertainty and Growing Optimism
Thirdly, other optimists perceive AI as powerful and should be embraced and taken seriously. The article outlines that the fast growth of AI technology has led to a shift in Silicon Valley discourse, with many experts now feeling that massive changes are forthcoming. Ajeya Cotra, a senior analyst at Open Philanthropy, predicted two years ago that there was a 15% possibility of transformational AI arising by 2036 (Roose 10). However, owing to the fast advancement of systems like GPT-3, she has lately increased that estimate to 35%. This emphasizes the necessity for humans to take the possibility of AI altering the world shortly more seriously and the reality that this may be frightening.
Dangers of AI
GPT-3 Applications: Strengths and Limitations
Evaluatively, there are two points to note concerning the AI application. First, the publication elaborates that AI chatbots have developed in the past five years, including GPT-3 (Roose 7). GPT-3, the powerful Natural Language Processing (NLP) tool launched by OpenAI, is becoming increasingly popular for various applications. One such application is its usage within the video game, screenplay, and email development domains.
The advantages of GPT-3 in these areas include its ability to generate high-quality conversations and actions that accurately mimic real-world interactions. Additionally, it can significantly reduce the time to develop content for scriptwriting and emails as it can effectively complete documents through natural language processing techniques. Conversely, one disadvantage of using GPT-3 within these industries is that it does not possess creative decision-making abilities: much of the content generated by it for scriptwriting and emails still requires manual editing before use.
Risks of AI in Decision-Making and Employment
Furthermore, as GPT-3 is a reasonably new product still undergoing various updates, its use is less reliable than that of traditional processes and toolsets. On the other hand, AI has opposing sides; if it is used in decision-making, it can spread misinformation. AI algorithms often lack nuanced interpretations and understanding of emotion-laden conversations and context. AI also has the potential to distort the political process, as AI technologies could be used to manipulate the public with false information created by AI. The article agrees with this by outlining, “could use the technology to churn out targeted misinformation on a vast scale, distorting the political process…” (Roose 11).
Similarly, AI technology can replace human labor, creating mass unemployment and decimating entire industries that humans depend on for work. In replacing humans, the article quotes, “Fewer experts are confidently predicting that we have years or even decades to prepare for a wave of world-changing AI” (Roose 10). AI should not be irresponsibly deployed without sufficient due diligence to ensure it is being applied responsibly with full consideration of the potential risks and social implications.
AI’s Social Consequences and Sector-Specific Impacts
Second, AIs have led to numerous destructions that humans could have saved. The most serious consequence of AI systems with faulty design is that they can cause crashes and injure people. Such incidents have been reported in many countries involving cars with automated features. The article supports AIs as accident causatives by holding, “There is still plenty of bad, broken AI out there, from racist chatbots to faulty automated driving systems that result in crashes and injury” (Roose 10).
For financial institutions, AI aids in accurately evaluating loan applications quickly with better accuracy than a standard set of criteria would allow. The article anchors this, claiming, “Banks use AI to determine who’s eligible for loans, and police departments …” (Roose 10). AI is likewise used by police departments, allowing law enforcement to deduce information more quickly, thus considerably speeding up investigations and resulting in more efficient outcomes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this article has illustrated the remarkable development that artificial intelligence has achieved over the last few years. Achievements range from AlphaFold’s advances in protein folding to OpenAI’s GPT-3 framework used to create scripts and generate emails. Besides, it has similarly revealed the potential dangers of AI, such as malfunctioning racist chatbots and automated driving systems. In ensuring that AI-controlled vehicles are safe and prevent potentially deadly accidents due to collision, current research should focus on perfecting machine learning algorithms and sensors. These sensors and algorithms will ensure that AI-controlled vehicles can quickly detect and respond to obstacles.
Works Cited
Roose, Kevin. “We Need to Talk About How Good A.I. Is Getting.” The New York Times, Web.