The Age of AI

Watching  In the Age of AI, I walked away fascinated and frightened. The documentary opened my eyes to the massive transformation artificial intelligence is causing. It is not only impacting technology or jobs, but also altering the structure of our society. AI has created incredible progress in areas such as healthcare and transportation, but it does not come without its downsides, many of which are highly unsettling. AI has evolved beyond just being a technological tool; it is now a political, ethical, and economic force in our world.

On the positive side, AI has amazing capabilities. One example of this is Google's DeepMind. DeepMind uses AI to detect and monitor dozens of eye diseases. Researchers believe that DeepMind will be highly useful in quickly and efficiently diagnosing eye diseases that affect more than 625,000 people in the UK alone. Other innovations include self-driving trucks and IBM Watson, a system that analyzes patient records and cross-references them with medical databases. 

These advances could help save lives, increase efficiency and productivity, and reduce human error. Since AI can learn from data and make accurate predictions, it has the power to help solve some of humanity's biggest challenges. 

However, AI's darker implications cannot be ignored. The film emphasized China's use of AI for things such as surveillance. In some parts of China, AI is used to fine and publicly shame jaywalkers. In other parts, AI is being utilized to give people social credit scores, eerily similar to the very uncomfortable "Nosedive" episode of the show Black Mirror. 

This is one of the most disturbing aspects of AI to me: the ability of governments to weaponize AI to control people and limit freedoms. Even in democracies, privacy is at risk thanks to AI. Massive tech companies in the US are collecting data and using artificial intelligence to attempt to manipulate our behavior through targeted advertisements and content. 

The issue of privacy is where I feel most conflicted. While AI can improve convenience and safety, it also opens the door to unnecessary surveillance and identity theft. If personal data falls into the wrong hands, irreparable damage could be done. There is a delicate balance between comfort and control, one that I worry is in danger of tipping the wrong way. 

Overall, the documentary made me realize that AI is not in the future; it is here now. We all need to act thoughtfully and quickly to shape and control its impact.