Implications Of Artificial Intelligence

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The human brain is a complex marvel capable of many processes. It can imagine, reason, produce works of great wonder, and make sense of intricate disciplines, such as politics or economics. Can the same be said for Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Can a robot, equipped with a sense of awareness and an ever growing base of knowledge, complete the same tasks more efficiently? Better yet, can AI be called into existence without looking at some of the problems inherently linked with intelligence surpassing that of humans? The concept of AI has been in the forefront of human interest for decades. However, the level of understanding and fundamental principles of AI evolved over the years. Perhaps one of the best depictions of the AI system can be …show more content…

If and when an AI system is developed, how it will affect society remains unclear. Proponents of Artificial Intelligence would argue that AI can be created and controlled in such a way that will bring tremendous benefits to humanity. They claim that a system continuously improving itself and capable of effectively learning and adapting would create prosperity (Kelly 307). However, objectors would argue that a self-sustaining, constantly developing AI must reach a point in its development when it realizes that the only impediment to its survival and prosperity is humanity itself. Therefore, we must be wary of self-aware AI machines of potentially leaving humanity in a state of …show more content…

As noted by Nicholas Carr, the development and proliferation of the internet has made information readily available, easy to use, and searchable (Carr 315). However, it has also diminished the ability of humans to think, reason and appraise sources (Carr 315). This is due to the fact that, historically, there have been a finite number of available choices, and the individual had to make an informed choice as to which source to use, and more importantly, why. The internet has ushered in an age of complete information bombardment, where factual and fictional information, news stories and reports circulate indefinitely, consumed by millions. The most notable outcome of this development is a world full of people who rely on semi-information, half truths and wrong impositions. When the factor of an AI controlled machine – an intelligent, self-aware supercomputer - is introduced into such an environment, it is more than likely to assume that it will absorb and mimic these concepts but with much greater success than any human. In such a world, information and misinformation would be the area of intellect that is vastly superior to that of any human, and barred from any effective control, leads towards the possibility of manipulation on a scale that is unprecedented in human

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