Impact of AI on humanity
Introduction
Let’s start by clarifying what artificial intelligence is. Simply put, AI is a branch of computer science that tries to replicate human thought processes and decision-making abilities in computer algorithms.
As the history of humanity goes on, the importance of efficiency and time grows. In a workplace, time has literally become money— as soon as you finish one task, you can tackle the next one. That is why artificial intelligence is taking a more prominent role in our lives. However, it doesn’t affect just our work life but many other aspects of day-to-day life as well, such as healthcare, shopping, education, house chores, money management, and even security! In this article, we will discuss the ways AI is used in everyday life, the impact it has, and the potential risks we face.
So, let’s dive into the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence and see how it is changing our reality.
Use of AI in the Workplace
Programmer’s Little Helper
While AI should never replace human programmers, it can certainly be a valuable tool and assistant. If used correctly, AI chatbots can instantly write code for some low-level websites and even find some bugs and errors in the given code. Of course, developers and QA testers must check the suggested code to make sure it works properly and is written correctly.
Fact and Grammar Check
This option is extremely useful for creative industries. When you write, typos, punctuation, and fact errors are common, so letting AI check your text can save you a lot of time. However, looking at the draft after AI does its “magic” is mandatory.
Statistics and Analytical Analysis
When you work in an industry like data analytics, working with large datasets is a daily task. In order to save time and energy, letting AI analyze them is a valid option, especially when a deadline is near.
Robots
There are many tasks that are considered dangerous and harmful for human beings, like working with poisonous substances. Using robots to accomplish them sometimes is the only option to ensure employees’ safety and well-being.
Autopilot
Pilots occasionally activate the autopilot option, as it is considered, in some instances, a safer way of flying.
Banks
Calculating and analyzing credit options and taxes are often done via the assistance of artificial intelligence. Also, many banks use AI chatbots to communicate with their clients and to detect and prevent fraud.
AI in Education
Personalized Learning Program
AI can assess students’ strengths and weaknesses and create personalized studying methods for every individual. That way, the learning program is adapted so everyone can learn at their own pace, in their own style, and use materials that are best for them. Knowing in which aspects each student excels and their weak points can help teachers approach students in a way that can benefit them.
Faster Access to Information
Information and learning materials have never been more accessible. They are at our fingertips. That is why AI is increasingly used in the classroom, while teachers encourage their pupils to use AI in their education, but not to rely on it too much.
Modern Teaching Methods
New generations use modern technologies from a very young age, learning how to use them quickly. Most children have computers and mobile phones at home, so they can grasp how to use AI properly fairly quickly. Also, early exposure to technology limits their concentration when listening to teachers verbally explain the lecture for a long period.
Assistive Technology
Educational tools that use AI can help students with disabilities. For example, screen readers are text-to-speech tools which are extremely useful for people with visual impairments. You can read more about assistive technology in our blog post here.
Use of AI in Medicine
Diagnostic and Perception
AI can help doctors diagnose diseases by analyzing patients’ medical information and history. Thanks to that, doctors can prescribe the best possible therapy. Also, this information can be used to perceive potential illnesses and prevent them.
Information Analysis
This useful feature of AI saves medical workers a lot of time, which they can use to attend to more people. Of course, the information they receive must be dealt with special care because mistakes are always a possibility. That is why it must be checked by specialized humans anyway.
Medication Prescription
Just as it was mentioned above, analyzed information can be used for the prescription of the best possible therapy. Correct medication and exercise are basic requirements for protecting or enhancing human health.
Hypothesis Check
When medics are not sure which disease their patient is dealing with, but they have a vague idea, they form a hypothesis, which can be checked by using AI-powered tools.
AI in Traffic
Navigation Systems
If you have a stable internet connection, getting lost has become almost impossible. Navigation apps like Google Maps have become essential not only for tourists but they are used by anyone, anywhere, to find a certain location. It doesn’t just show you the fastest route to the destination but also the expected time when you will arrive at it.
Self-Driven Cars
They are also known as autonomous vehicles. Being developed by using AI, these autonomous cars are made to interact with traffic and the environment, ensuring safety as much as possible.
Traffic Jam Notification
Being stuck in a traffic jam is something a lot of people face on a daily basis. Getting notifications about where the traffic is thickest can help you choose another route to your destination, thus saving you a lot of time and nerves.
AI and Security
Face ID
Some devices use this feature as a layer of information protection. This feature is mostly used as a way to unlock your device. It scans the face of a person who is trying to unlock it, and if it matches its saved picture, the device will unlock itself.
Bank Account Protection
Artificial intelligence can analyze your daily transactions, understanding your paying habits. This information will allow it to alert you if something drastically out of the ordinary occurs on your transaction list, which may be potential fraud. That way, your money is safer and can prevent potential crimes.
Social Media Security
Potentially dangerous or offensive content can be detected by using AI. In that manner, it can analyze images, videos, and even live streams, automatically removing anything it considers inappropriate. Also, it can warn you of potential bots, suspicious accounts, and fake news.
Shopping and AI
Budget Management
If you want to limit your spending, AI can help you with that. It can track your expenses and notify you when you spend a certain amount of money. In addition, by analyzing your past spending patterns, AI can predict your future expenses, allowing you to plan how to use your money.
Updating Shopping List
Provided that you communicate with AI correctly about what you want to buy, it can create a shopping list of articles that you need. When you buy each of them, you can cross them out.
Price Tracking
AI can be used to track the lowest prices for an article you need, and even find the nearest shop to you that offers it. That way, you can save both money and time.
AI in Everyday Life
Smart Houses
Turning the light and television on and off, adjusting the temperature in the apartment, playing the music you like, activating and deactivating security systems, and all that with just a voice command sounds great, right? Today, that is possible, and it is gaining popularity.
Physical Activity
By providing your information, AI can analyze it and create your own training plan, which can be adjusted to your personal needs and priorities. By using smart devices, you can monitor your training and the impact it has on your body and health. Even if you forget to do the physical activity that you planned, you can receive reminders to make sure you stay consistent.
Digital Assistant
Almost every mobile device has some form of a digital assistant built into it. The most popular are Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa, and others. Thanks to them, users can easily control their devices, set reminders and alarms, and even browse the internet, using just voice commands.
Internet Browsers
When you start typing a term or a phrase you are searching for in a browser, it, in most cases, recognizes what you are looking for based on your previous activities, and offers a list of suggestions in a drop-down menu. In addition to that, AI can autocorrect grammar and spelling, for clearer search phrasing, so you can get more precise results for the content you are looking for.
Personalized Ads
By analyzing content you searched for, engaged with, things you are interested in, or shop for, it also takes into account demographics, location, and age. AI-powered tools can suggest ads that are designed to grab your attention and persuade you to click on them.
Potential Risks of Using AI
As we can see, artificial intelligence is an integral part of many aspects of our daily lives. Sometimes we can’t avoid it, or we might even not be aware we are using it. However, there are potential risks, so we ought to be careful how we approach AI. Some of the risks are:
- Bias Information: There is always a chance that AI is trained to display biased or unchecked information.
- Job Displacement: Automation can cause AI to replace human workers in jobs that can be easily programmed, causing higher unemployment.
- Privacy Endangerment: Since AI often works with large amounts of information, there is a possibility that some of it may be private. Providing it to other users may put the privacy of the person at risk.
- Overreliance on AI: If we rely on artificial intelligence to do jobs humans are meant to do, and don’t make sure to add a “human element” to it, we risk ruining the content itself, especially when it comes to trustworthiness, and having the wrong information in it. We must never blindly trust what AI is doing and sharing with us.
Conclusion
The world is constantly changing, and the need for both quality and speed is constantly growing. That is why the use of AI is gaining popularity, and, in some instances, it is free, so some employers tend to replace human workers with artificial intelligence. However, as AI spreads across many aspects of life, it is becoming apparent that it is touching more and more people’s everyday lives, changing the way they think and how they interact with AI tools and with each other.
Although there are obvious dangers in using and over-relying on AI, if you don’t want to fall behind in an ever-changing, fast-paced world, you have a very limited range of choices to avoid it. Sometimes it is not even possible to do so. However, we do believe that there are many more benefits than potential risks AI poses.
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