Can someone explain AI and why it’s set to change the world?

[Cheekyfuckerry]

So sorry to ask what is probably a ridiculous question but can someone explain what it is? How can it replace humans? What is chatGPT? (I may not have that phrase correct by the way)

I keep seeing threads about how our lives will change, how it will take over all our jobs etc, I can understand that maybe it will be able to answer phones and queries like the way bots on live chat / phones do now but what else is it able to do?

How can it change the world?

AI Artificial Intelligence

@taxguru machine learning is a subset of AI

With all due respect, I don't think you understand what you are talking about.

Play the game Detroit: Become Human. Seemed very plausible to me that this type of scenario could be in our future.

@NoraBattysCurlers My DH works for an AI tech provider and I'm a researcher into specific applications of AI in my field.

I turned R4 on several times yesterday, at different times of the day, and AI was mentioned or discussed on each one.

I saw this too…
https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/geoffrey-hinton-leaves-google-artificial-intelligence-b2331367.html

I don’t have a good feeling about it. Yes, it can improve many aspects of our lives, but it only takes a few crackpots further down the line, and humans may well make themselves extinct before we save the planet.

Id like to ignore it, but it’s not going away.

Content creation, customer support, etc.are just some of the tasks that AI can do.

Financial services is another area. AI will outperform many financial advisors and the numbers employed will reduce dramatically.

@mynameiscalypso, well then you need to open your eyes to recent developments.

AI is obviously an important development which will cause considerable disruption & innovation, but the cynic in me suggests that the reason for much of the current media hyperbole is that a lot of journalists are very worried that it will make their jobs obsolete in the same way self-service checkouts have done for shop workers.

@mynameiscalypso I'm not techy and don't have a great understanding of it. But I am feeling very nervous about it all, perhaps due to some people getting very stressed about it and being very vocal.

On top of my concerns about the environment and climate change - I'm pretty worried!

It would be fabulous if it could be used for good and used responsibly and ethically....although I do somewhat share the sentiment of a pp that maybe the best thing for the planet would be just to get rid of humans. Which to be honest wouldn't really bother me, aside from the fact I have young kids and am terrified for their future.

Sorry, that was my longwinded way of saying that it's reassuring to hear that you, someone working in the industry, doesn't see it is the massive threat that some people do.

But I guess only time will tell.

It will get rid of a lot of white collar workers

Artificial Insemination.

Someone above said AI would act without bias - but haven’t there been examples where tech does display “bias” eg hand dryers not seeming to register black skin? Isn’t AI only has good as the information that’s being fed into it, which is loaded with all sorts of bias?

Thank you for asking the question, @Cheekyfuckerry .

Apparently there is a book about this written for schoolchildren I toyed with getting as I haven't a clue about this either

Yes. Previous advances in technology have usually affected jobs down the 'food chain' so to speak. Not so with AI.

Meh.

I HIGHLY doubt it will ever result in extinction. I think people forget that computer systems can be turned off 🤣

It's just scaremongering nonsense.

I think the danger is that no one really understands what AI / AGI will be capable of and how it will work. Once it reaches the critical mass point of being more intelligent than us (and also self-improving), it will take off exponentially and become capable of things we can't even imagine.

There's the paperclip analogy which explains so ways AI might go wrong. We might invent an AI machine to make paperclips and programme it to make as many paperclips as possible. So it might start turning all kinds of things into paperclips that we don't want turned into paperclips, until the world is filled with paperclips. We might try and stop it, but then it sees humans as an obstacle in its mission to create paperclips and decides to destroy us. Kind of a silly example but illustrates some of the issues we might face even with the most harmless seeming AI, once it gets clever and powerful enough.

The whole 'just turn it off' thing is incredibly naive. You can't just 'turn off' the internet, and AI could well ultimately develop the ability to exist outside the internet anyway.

Why can't it be turned off?

But who will 'turn it off'? You'd have to have complete coordination between all nations.

Where's the button?

If it meant the end of the world I'm pretty sure everyone would chip in 🤣

I think one of the biggest threats is the number of jobs which real people do to earn their livelihood, which could be done by AI in the future.
If we start seeing whole industries not requiring humans working in them, where will those people find employment in order to feed their families?

I'm hovering over the link to download chatGPT. I think I'm afraid to do it - ignorance is bliss and all that, but sooner or later everyone will be using it.

Those of us who still intend to use our own brains to write an essay/thesis etc. will be the odd ones out - flair, style, nuance etc. will presumably be evident in non AI stuff.

But will AI be able to replicate individuality? Hmmm I expect so.

That is one concern of mine. But everything is possible, that is the fear.

Just like everyone's chipping in to stop global warming? 😂