Blog #9 Age of AI

Artificial Intelligence is horrifying but also fascinating. "In the Age of AI" produced by Frontline offers an in-depth compelling look at the promises and abilities of artificial intelligence. As I watched the documentary I noted the positive aspects of AI but also the negative aspects. Both are very evident and known.

Positively, AI has many benefits such as efficiency, medical breakthroughs, and personalized experiences. One of the most notable factors of artificial intelligence is the efficiency it offers. AI can help with assignments, create graphs, and answer most questions, in smart homes it has the power to control lights, heating, appliances, etc. Medically, AI has been a breakthrough. It assists medical professionals in the field of diagnostics, by drawing connections within a computer system to diagnose diseases like cancer more accurately and efficiently. Personally, AI has the ability to analyze a vast amount of data. It heavily assists in education while providing many ideas. AI is proving the ability to increase efficiency in our lives.

Negatively, AI has many downsides. The main issue is data privacy. Everything you type and say in regard to an AI platform is documented, recorded, studied, and adapted. Your thoughts and information are essentially stalked to learn from and occasionally sold for profit. Surveillance is also an issue that arises with data privacy. AI-powered surveillance systems are expanding through the markets. The documentary discussed how China's extensive usage of facial recognition is becoming a tool of surveillance for social control. Identity theft along with cybersecurity issues also arise from AI. With access to thoughts, social media, passwords, and even your face scan we are constantly exposed and in danger. Your information is known and can be stolen at any time and used for bad. AI is gaining the ability to mimic human behavior making it difficult to distinguish between real and fake people which is also a major issue because it potentially exposes people to revealing private information. 

In the realm of national security, the documentary delved into various aspects such as global competition and military applications. There is a national race to further develop artificial intelligence to dominate the industry. This raises national concern in an arms race for AI development also with geopolitical implications. Within the military, the use of AI technologies in creating automatic weapons raises ethical debates. AI is gaining the ability to make life and death decisions within the military and can be used on the battlefield.

My takeaways from this documentary still stand that AI is horrifying as well as fascinating. AI is beneficial in aiding in the medical field, education, testing, and many more positive things. However, AI is horrifying in the fact it can be responsible for causing death. My key takeaway is that AI is beginning to take over the world and we the people can control it but won't, we keep feeding it.