“Forget artificial intelligence – in the brave new world of big data, it’s artificial idiocy we should be looking out for.” – Tom Chatfield

In this day and age, it seems that a major advancement in technology is being made each and every day. Perhaps, the biggest development on the horizon is that of artificial intelligence. With each passing day, data is being collected. Collected from where you ask? Well, from just about anything that is connected to the internet. This could range anywhere from your phone to even your cars. While this data collection is more or less harmless, many worry that as advancements in artificial intelligence are made this data can be used in heinous ways. As the world becomes more digitized, artificial intelligence’s presence continues to become more and more prominent. Artificial intelligence and its development has found itself to be at the center of a modern day arms race with the winner being the new superpower the rest of the world has to bow down to. In this paper I will examine three different stances on artificial intelligence and its role in today’s society, as well as its outlook for the future. The first stance is perhaps the most common and has been covered the most by media outlets. With that stance being that artificial intelligence poses a great threat to the world as we know it, and that this possible threat alone merits the need for world leaders to come together and discuss the ethical guidelines that should be put in place regarding the use of artificial intelligence. Those who side with the second stance are on the opposite side of the spectrum, as they feel that artificial intelligence can only bring good to the world. Lastly, the third stance remains firmly neutral and maintains that artificial intelligence can be either good or bad depending on a multitude of factors.

With the development of artificial intelligence and the capabilities it holds, the world has found itself racing to be first to fully develop artificial intelligence in order to seemingly become the only power in the world. In her piece titled “The AI Arms Race Means We Need AI Ethics”, Kasia Borowska states that artificial intelligence is this day and age’s nuclear bomb. Furthering the fact, that the world is without a doubt currently entangled in a new arms race. Borowska notes that while countries are trying to advance as quickly as possible with artificial intelligence, they also feel the need to keep information from each other. She goes on to say that countries are essentially trying to recruit the best talent from around the world in regard to artificial intelligence and harbor those bright minds for themselves. Borowska notes that data is the main currency in the world of artificial intelligence and that there already has been some misuses of said data. And that this industry has reached a crossroads where they have chosen their own curiosity for the potentials of artificial intelligence over the possible dangers that lie in wait. With that being said, Borowska calls for the need to develop some kind of ethical guideline around artificial intelligence in order to prevent any further misuse of data.

While Borowska wishes for leaders to develop ethical guidelines for artificial intelligence. There are those who believe that fabricating ethics for artificial intelligence is borderline impossible. In his article, Richard Gray interviews Professor Stuart Russell, a computer scientist from Berkeley. Russell also discerns that this rapid development of artificial intelligence resembles that of nuclear weapons and is distressed that humanity is “driving off a cliff” in their efforts to develop artificial intelligence. Russell goes on to state that developing regulations for nuclear weapons is easier since there are tangible things to be regulated. Whereas, with artificial intelligence there is no true certainty over what to regulate. Moreover, Russell believes that in this unchecked pursuit of artificial intelligence that one must explore all the possible consequences of such a technology first. As some might say that this is one of those moments where someone can say that developers only wondered if they could and never stopped to ask if they should pursue such a risky endeavor. Lastly Russell asserts that since this development is going to happen regardless, that computer scientists should do their best to instill human values while doing their research. Even though Borowska and Russell share a mutual fear of artificial intelligence and the dangers that surround it, their approaches to handle such fears differ. While one believes that guidelines must be put in place, the other believes that doing so is impossible.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are those who believe that artificial intelligence will bring nothing but good to the world. In her article, Catherine Clifford interviews Bill Gates and asks for his thoughts on artificial intelligence. The headline itself already reads “Bill Gates: AI can be our friends”. Gates believes that with the development of artificial intelligence the world will be able to “do more with less”. Gates points to agriculture for his evidence as he states that as technology has gotten better so had productivity in that sector, and he does not see why production would not continue to soar with the implementation of artificial intelligence. Gates even goes on to say that with this increased productivity that it is very possible for people to have to work less hours. There are those who say that implementing artificial intelligence into agriculture will only benefit the big companies and cost many their jobs. In response, Gates believes that those who are displaced by such developments can look for jobs elsewhere in the labor market that is lacking the necessary manpower, such as elder care.

            Robbie Allen seems to also be in the same camp as Gates, as he believes that artificial intelligence is for the better. In his article, Allen goes over three key points as to why artificial intelligence will be beneficial to society. Allen states that everyone in today’s society is more or less benefitting from artificial intelligence to some capacity. Mainly just those who can perform simple tasks such as to-do lists or reminders. Allen however, feels that artificial intelligence will achieve much more than such mundane tasks. Allen first insists that implementing artificial intelligence will reduce costs. Allen believes that simple tasks can eventually be automated thus, freeing up employees to work on things that will allow them to reach higher potentials all while bringing down expenses. Secondly Allen claims that there will be a boost in efficiency. As even though you are performing the same tasks as before, you just happen to be doing them more quickly. Hence, boosting efficiency by getting more done in less time. Finally, Allen asserts that the artificial intelligence will provide the world with “epic breakthroughs”. Stating that artificial intelligence and machinery will allow people to better be able to connect the dots when doing research and eventually coming up with a breakthrough. Allen lists examples such as being better able to analyze patient risk in medicine, or even predicting defects before they happen in regard to manufacturing. Allen goes on to say that that one should prepare themselves for a shift in which the work environment uses more technology for the sake of workers and freeing them to do more tasks in which only a human could perform. That only when that day comes, industries can truly move forward.

            Aside from the two polar opposite viewpoints on artificial intelligence, there is a third which largely remains neutral on the matter. In his opinion piece, Charles Araujo states that future of artificial intelligence depends on one thing. As aforementioned, the use of artificial intelligence also brings upon large amounts of data collection. With all that data collection Araujo believes that data largely has no value. That the value of data only comes when someone decides to use the data in a certain context. It is one thing to look at data and it is another thing to understand it, and what to do with it. That is where its value will come from.

            While Araujo argues his point of neutrality on the data front, Milton Erzati takes his case to the topic of employment. In his piece, Erzati points out that the through the ages the same set of worries and hopes produced by development in technology has more or less been the same regardless of era. He goes on to say that with the introduction of new technology there are those that worry it would bring along unemployment. Although true to an extent, Erzati states that in the long term such a development in technology does end up creating more jobs whether that be due to the industry itself expanding or creating new products and demands that will no doubt require new jobs. With everything that Erzati ascertains, one can make the realization that with everything history has shown. Especially on the technological front, it is that such developments can bring bad, but it can also bring good. And on that note, it appears that technological advances bring about a net result of neutrality.

With everything that has been said throughout this piece, it is safe to safe that society and the world as we know it is on the precipice of great technological change. Just like with anything else in life people are afraid of change. They are afraid of change because with it there are so many unknowns. These unknowns are the very reasons why people such as Kasia Borowska or, Stuart Russell are fearful of what the future may bring. They are also fearful because they view artificial intelligence as something that will be weaponized in some kind of capacity as mentioned in the articles. On the other hand, those like Bill Gates and Robbie Allen have brought light to the good that artificial intelligence can bring to society in more ways than one. Someone like Charles Araujo could maybe convinced of either viewpoint as it all depends on the ways artificial intelligence is implemented. And Milton Erzati determining that the effects of such technological advances brings about good and bad which in the end nets a neutral result. As nothing is ever really coherently without a doubt good or bad, but that the way something is used can be good or bad. Regardless of these viewpoints, change is imminent and is not stopping for anything. After all, our whole world is built upon evolution and adapting. Whether artificial intelligence will be friend or foe? Well, only time will tell. 

Works Cited

1. Borowska, Kasia. “The AI Arms Race Means We Need AI Ethics.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 22 Jan. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/kasiaborowska/2019/01/22/the-ai-arms-race-means-we-need-ai-ethics/#c45fdb967a05.
2. MailOnline, Richard Gray for. “’Artificial Intelligence Is as Dangerous as NUCLEAR WEAPONS’.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 21 July 2015, www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3165356/Artificial-Intelligence-dangerous-NUCLEAR-WEAPONS-AI-pioneer-warns-smart-computers-doom-mankind.html.
3. Clifford, Catherine. “Bill Gates: ‘A.I. Can Be Our Friend’.” CNBC, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2018, www.cnbc.com/2018/02/16/bill-gates-artificial-intelligence-is-good-for-society.html.
4. Araujo, Charles, et al. “The Future of Big Data and AI Boils down to One Thing.” CIO, CIO, 24 Sept. 2018, www.cio.com/article/3307110/the-future-of-big-data-and-ai-boils-down-to-one-thing.html.
5. Allen, Robbie. “3 Key AI Benefits for the Future of Work.” VentureBeat, VentureBeat, 21 May 2018, www.venturebeat.com/2018/05/21/3-key-ai-benefits-for-the-future-of-work/.   
6. Ezrati, Milton. “Why Artificial Intelligence Won’t Be as Bad-or as Good-as Everyone Thinks.” The National Interest, The Center for the National Interest, 10 June 2018, www.nationalinterest.org/feature/why-artificial-intelligence-wont-be-bad—or-good—-everyone-26209.