Artificial Intelligence is one of the emerging and rapidly growing technologies. The term Artificial Intelligence was coined by John McCarthy in 1950. It has been a dream for human beings to design machines that can take decisions and make predictions on their own.
We have progressed a lot in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Today we are surrounded by lots of examples of “narrow AI” or “weak AI”. These are the applications or machines that can perform simpler or specific tasks on their own and they are efficient to use. For example, we have facial recognition systems, self-driving cars, voice recognition, chatbots, digital assistants such as Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, and many more. However, today researchers and scientists are working to design “general AI” i.e., AGI or strong AI. A strong AI can perform nearly all cognitive tasks.
Let’s see the advantages and risks of Artificial Intelligence.
Benefits of Artificial Intelligence
- High Accuracy: Machines don’t make mistakes if they are programmed properly. With the help of Artificial Intelligence, the machine can predict and make decisions based on previously gathered data with more accuracy and it will reduce human errors as well.
Example: With the high accuracy the machines are being used in medical fields for diagnosis and performing delicate surgeries.
- Risk Taking Capability: Well trained AI robots can perform risky tasks such as defusing bombs, mining coal and oil, going to space, construction, or any kind of natural or man-made disaster, robots can help to save human beings life and overcome situations where intervention can be hazardous.
Example: AI powered robots can minimize the effect of disaster by controlling the things in early stages.
- Digital Assistance: Most organizations use digital assistants to connect with the users, hence saving human resources. These digital assistants are so well trained that it becomes difficult to determine whether we are communicating with a human or a machine. Many websites offer chatbots that can answer queries 24×7 with human interventions.
Example: Many companies had integrated chatbots or voice bots on their websites or mobile applications that can answer and solve human queries easily and efficiently.
- Unbiased Decision: Machines don’t have emotions and they are highly practical and rational. So with the help of AI-based machines, it is easy to make unbiased and more accurate decisions.
Example: Machines can make decisions irrespective of race, religion, caste, creed, colour, etc.
- Helping in Boring Jobs: In our daily work, human beings may need to handle repetitive tasks very frequently such as sending similar emails, verifying documents, answering similar questions, etc. These repetitive tasks can be easily handled by AI robots or machines, thus it will have the same time, energy and provide greater accuracy.
Example: Before sanctioning the loan, the bank owner and employees need to verify lots of documents and this is a repetitive process. With the help of AI Cognitive Automation banks can easily speed up the process and it will be beneficial to both customers and owners of the bank.
- Data Security: Data security is one of the most important concerns for an organization. With the rapid increase in cyber attacks, companies are more concerned about user data. AI-based applications and software can help to determine the software bugs and predict cyber attacks in a better way.
Example: AI2, AEB bots are useful for determining software bugs and cyberattacks in a much more efficient manner.
- Faster Decisions: A machine can make faster decisions as compared to human beings. Human decisions are based practically and emotionally whereas AI-powered machines can practically make decisions and how it has been programmed, which deliver the results faster than humans.
Example: AI-based games, it is impossible to beat them because they find the best possible solution at a very short interval because of the algorithms used behind that.
Risks of Artificial Intelligence
When we talk about AI applications and their advantages, it seems like Ai have a brighter side and is useful for humans in day-to-day life. But we need to notice the darker side of AI, as we have many advantages that AI offers; we also have some risks and disadvantages for the same. Let’s look at some risks and disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence.
- High Implementation Cost: Building AI-based machines is costlier and time taking. The software and hardware involved in building AI machines require updating every time to meet the latest requirements. Moreover, these machines require maintenance and repairs that may cost thousands of dollars. AI machines get smarter day by day, which requires a frequent change in the software and reinstalling them will take huge time and increase the project overall cost.
- Unemployment: Since AI-powered machines can handle repetitive tasks more easily and accurately, companies are looking for AI-based robots that can do similar tasks more effectively and efficiently. Thus this may cause employment problems and reduce human interference.
- Lack of Creativity: Machines can only work according to the instruction given to them or the way they are programmed. But AI-based machines can’t imagine or add creativity to the work. The machines can help to create something special but they will not be able to compete with the human brains, because human brains are more sensitive and highly emotional and it comes naturally whereas AI machines are based on skills, which can be learned and mastered into it.
- Can’t replace Human Intelligence: No doubt machines can perform tasks more efficiently than humans. But practically it will not be possible to replace humans with machines, at least shortly. As it would be difficult to build a machine that can work like human intelligence because human brains are god gifted. Machines are rational and they don’t have moral values or emotions, due to which they may not be able to make bonds with human beings and don’t have the ability to handle the teams.
- Threat to Humanity: AI machines can be programmed to do something devastating. Autonomous weapons are artificial intelligence systems that are programmed to kill and if it goes into the wrong hands then it could cause mass casualties. Also, the AI arms race could bring an AI war that may also cause mass casualties.
- Making Humans Lazy: Machines are making our work easier in day-to-day life but using these machines the human beings are getting lazy day by day. If humans get addicted to machines for their small tasks, then it will become problematic for future generations.
This was a brief discussion about AI benefits and risks of Artificial Intelligence. So, we can say that every invention in the field of AI will come up with solutions and also it would have its own set of problems. However, more research and accurate results can determine how we can reduce risks related to AI, such as we can minimize the risks of unemployment by upskilling human beings. Every invention may bring positive and negative impacts but humans need to understand to use the positive side of the invention to make the world a better place to live.
