The creation of Artificial Intelligence, mostly known as AI, has raised important questions regarding ethical and humane practices in fast growing society. While some of its applications propose new practices and perspectives, there’s also a profound danger that comes with the potential harm that can be caused with such a tool at the tip of anyone’s fingers. Ultimately, what I find most interesting about AI is the ability for it to offer global evidence for vast issues that many people are uneducated on. I feel like one thing that can be eye opening and incredibly hopeful is developing many solutions to environmental issues and supporting global challenges. In the article, Fixing AI’s Energy Crisis explores how AI can be used to optimize energy usage and reduce carbon footprints, pushing for a more green environment. The potential for AI to help us address these issues still remains a mystery as this technology is so new. The hope lies in the ongoing development of this tool and hopefully will be placed in the power of people who won’t abuse it. As outlined in AI Snake Oil by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor, the use of AI in healthcare and environmental sciences offers the ability to address diagnosis and offer solutions to health issues. In this aspect, this is the future where technology can take the place of people and play in the field of bringing positive change instead of negativity. This deeply aligns with the belief that AI, when used responsibly and ethically, can in fact offer solutions to long term problems and create new opportunities for everyone. However, with these possibilities, there are significant challenges seen in this article about the algorithmic scheme and how AI can reinforce discrimination that can cause unnecessary harm.
Similarly to worldly issues, the growing use of AI in education has been a part of broader conversation regarding ethical dilemmas. I feel that if you enter any High School or even middle school they can attest to have used some form of AI. The most popular tools like ChatGPT are useful for students, but raises growing concerns and issues of academic integrity and plagiarism. Generations have been widely exposed to this new way of learning and has drawn a line between human creativity and a dependence on technology. The rise of AI in college reflects another struggle of trying to balance using the technology in a helpful way while also trying to challenge the machines to develop a new learning approach. I feel that AI has been introduced to the worst possible generation as we are a result of numerous social disparities and we can already see people in power abuse their power with this technology. The hope lies with AI being used effectively and ethically but it has to be taught first in the classrooms. How do we as a generation learn if we can have something do it for us? Like any tool, it must be carefully designed and monitored to ensure there is no harm pushed on communities. The psychological impact of technology on education I feel is not talked about enough and the immediacy of AI-generated responses often diminish students’ critical thinking skills that makes them rely too heavily on others’ ideas and not their own. AI’s capacity to support these developments is something that has been in discussion for finding solutions to deeper issues that stem from this. In exploring AI, the most inspiring things directly influenced by this capacity of people turning to AI to provide answers is guiding us to think more critically on what we put out for viewers to see. I believe AI has the power to empower individuals and communities but it’s with an understanding that many of these empowerments are not our own ideas.
The last area I want to touch on is one I’m extremely passionate about and have actually been involved in projects regarding this topic of creating more inclusive systems. One thing I can attest to is the most encouraging aspect of AI is the ability to transform certain organizations and institutions by increasing accessibility to marginalized communities. In the article, VisualDx, a Rochester-based company, and its DermExpert Product, shows AI being used to address the issues regarding the lack of diversity in medical data. DermExpert’s use of AI counted towards a wide variety of skin tones that highlights the positive use of AI within our healthcare system. Historically speaking, medical systems have often focused on lighter skin tones, which ultimately diminished any people with darker skin tones at a disadvantage when it came to diagnosis. This ability to recognize diversity is honestly inspiring and encouraging within this significant field and makes me hopeful for our future generations. Along with the hopeful impact of AI addressing systemic inequalities, the Justice Department Sues RealPage for Algorithmic Pricing Scheme that Harms Million of American Renters, offers a deeper inside to AI’s potential to perpetuate a system of inequalities. There is harm and terror in every aspect of life but very much so in the discussion of AI. The RealPage touched on some extremely important topics of AI being misused to enforce discrimination by singling out marginalized communities. These harmful acts of AI highlight the need for establishing ethical guidelines for the use of this technology and the need for extreme regulation. On the hopeful side that I am passionate about, the increasing public awareness that these issues drive calls for even more need for regulation and legitimization. By demanding stronger frameworks and consequences AI’s potential to promote a more equitable system is then indefinite. The increasing public demand for transparency in how AI collects, stores, and even uses data pushes people to challenge these notions and pushes developers to think more critically about these issues. Despite the challenges and ethical concerns around this and AI, I remain hopeful that with enough development, regulation, and responsibility, AI can be a powerful tool for positive change, fostering new generations with equality, transparency, and progress for all.