Mankind Faces the Challenge of Using Artificial Intelligence Responsibly.

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI), a groundbreaking technological advancement of the 21st century, has captivated humanity with its potential to revolutionize various aspects of our lives. However, alongside this fascination, there looms a sense of apprehension regarding its responsible use and the challenges it poses. AI has undoubtedly presented society with multifaceted dilemmas, ranging from threats to security and personal privacy to job displacement and misinformation. While these concerns are valid, it is essential to recognize that AI also offers immense opportunities for improved governance, enhanced security, job creation, better learning, and advancements in healthcare. To harness the true potential of Artificial Intelligence and navigate its challenges effectively, collaborative efforts among industry, academia, and legal bodies are indispensable. Together, they must establish robust legal and ethical frameworks for AI's future development, ensuring that its applications align with the greater good. Additionally, public awareness campaigns should shed light on the positive prospects of AI, dispelling fears and misconceptions that hinder its responsible integration into our lives. By striking a balance between prudent regulation and informed public perception, we can unlock the vast possibilities of Artificial Intelligence while safeguarding humanity from its darker implications.

The term “Artificial Intelligence” was first used back in the 1950s. The word “Artificial” is true when it comes to the intelligence of modern computer systems. By definition, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the development of computer systems that can take intelligent decisions without human intervention.” Although the development of AI-facilitated computer systems and devices has been going on since the 1950s with partially active periods of research, it is the last two decades that have brought fascination regarding the developments in the field of Artificial Intelligence. The highly smart and capable robots, flying drones, ‘extra’ smartphones, and robust computer systems and applications have not only fascinated the common man but they have also proven to be a source of great envy and fear. Sadly, due to a lack of knowledge, mankind has been unable to harness the full potential of Artificial Intelligence. This lack of knowledge has rendered us unable to use AI-powered technologies more responsibly. 

It is the negative mental attitude of common people who perceive AI to be a threat to human existence. Undoubtedly, every human invention has negative aspects and it can produce dire consequences if not used responsibly. The same is true for Artificial Intelligence as well. AI can prove to be a serious threat to conventional security by manipulating its algorithms. It can displace thousands of people from their conventional jobs if we don’t keep pace with changing trends and requirements. Furthermore, the serious concern with the powerful algorithms of AI is its ability to manipulate information which ultimately becomes a threat to individual privacy as well. These and many other serious challenges cause AI phobia in common masses. 

The weaponization of Artificial Intelligence is conceived to be a major threat to this volatile world. Entrusting weapons with the capability to take independent decisions is comparable to a suicide. Enabling weapons to take decisions based on algorithms developed by human beings or their previous experience can trigger disastrous and unending wars. It can be a source of rising new conflicts and sustaining the old ones among rivals. A minor miscalculation is enough to trigger the system to fire upon the rivals. This is a serious threat to human existence on this earth. It is the need of the hour to set legal and ethical boundaries regarding the development of such deadly and highly intelligent weapons if the big powers ever care about peaceful human existence. 

Another major concern regarding Artificial Intelligence is the loss of human jobs to highly intelligent, accurate, and efficient machines. It is believed that AI-powered machines are more suitable, intelligent, and accurate to perform routine or repetitive tasks. There is no doubt that modern machines are highly efficient and can perform routine tasks with ease, considering that they don’t ask for an increase in wages, they don’t protest and they don’t get tired of doing the same job continuously for much longer time than the human being. In recent years robots have replaced men on the assembly line. The period of COVID-19 forced many manufacturing companies to go for machines despite men continuing their production. Thus, AI has definitely contributed to the loss of millions of human jobs in the last decade, in particular, after COVID-19. 

Artificial Intelligence poses serious challenges in getting accurate information. The highly capable algorithms of AI-powered systems can generate fake news with great ease. This can cause great conflicts among different nations and the different groups of a country. The recent development of AI-powered Photoshop tools that were used to portray the Ex American President Donald Trump being arrested and dragged by some police coup can easily depict the power of these tools in generating fake news and misinformation. In third-world countries, already extremely polarized, such incidents are enough to disrupt the peace of the country. The portrayal of unethical pictures or creating fake videos of a political figure are enough to destroy his/her political career in socially and culturally bound societies such as Pakistan. 

Along with all the other challenges associated with Artificial Intelligence, AI has posed a serious challenge to the individual’s privacy. In this day and age of many social media platforms, it is indeed difficult to manage one’s privacy. Companies and corporations use personal information and interests to sell their products. Big-tech companies and even some public organizations have been reported to sell the personal information of their clients and consumers. This data is then used for committing serious cybercrimes, and only in the year 2022 over 100,000 complaints were received by FIA related to cybercrime in Pakistan. 

Cybercrime is a type of crime committed using online resources and technology devices. There have been attempts to destroy nuclear facilities, hack bank accounts or official websites by evil groups sitting in rival countries. Conventional warfare has changed its face and cyber war has taken its place where rival countries attack stock exchange markets, and financial institutions to hamper the economic prospects of rival states. Different invisible sources are used to propagate false information to disrepute leaders and institutions of rival states. Countries like India have been badly exposed for doing that to Pakistan in recent years. 

Looking at all these challenges associated with Artificial Intelligence, one must not be discouraged that AI is a bane altogether. It also comes up with the great potential to transform governance, enhance conventional and non-conventional security, create more job opportunities, foster better learning, and improve the healthcare sector. 

Artificial Intelligence using its highly effective algorithms can transform governance. The use of AI-analyzed data can enhance the capacity of administrators to know a particular affected area and allocate proper resources for that area. In a densely and highly populated area, administrators can use AI to locate specific problems and affected populations. The vast computing power of AI-powered computer systems can help greatly in allocating resources and taking the right decision at the right time. This ultimately can help the government to enhance governance and enable deserving people to receive government services swiftly and with ease. 

Artificial Intelligence may pose serious challenges to conventional and non-conventional security (cyber security); however, it also has the potential to thwart security threats as well. AI can be used to monitor highly secure systems and prevent any sort of intrusion. AI-driven systems and algorithms can be efficiently used to signal any unnatural traffic on a network. It can be used to point out or alert the threats that are unknown and unfamiliar to human intelligence. Thus, it can be used to deter cyber threats conveniently. 

Although Artificial Intelligence is blamed for disrupting human jobs, it can produce even more jobs than it takes away. AI can bring more sophisticated jobs in the technology industry. Research analysis, software development, and monitoring of AI systems are still going to be performed by humans. Therefore just like the invention of cars was resisted by horsecart riders with the pretext that it would take away their jobs; it doesn’t mean that inventing cars diminished jobs. The important thing then was that all horsecart riders improved their skills and learned driving. 

Artificial Intelligence can foster better learning. It can tailor learning to the needs of an individual and his learning capacity. Tools such as Chat GPT and Bard AI etc have enabled learners to seek ideas that were unconceivable before. Tools powered by AI have got capabilities to demonstrate and articulate complex ideas in easily understandable animations and written statements. It has empowered learners to perform tasks in minutes that would take hours. From writing a letter to writing a well-structured code for a software program, it has enabled learners to do wonders in the field of education. 

AI can play a key role in the healthcare sector. AI-assisted medical tools and applications can help greatly in diagnosing serious diseases at an earlier stage. AI tools can be used in developing newer and more accurate drugs. It can help in designing and prescribing drugs based on human genomes for every individual patient. This will advance the field of medical science and prove a source of a more peaceful and disease-free world that will ultimately contribute to the longevity of mankind. 

All these prospects of AI look very promising; nevertheless, they require collaboration among the industry, academia, and legal bodies whether governmental or non-governmental institutions. It also requires these bodies to set legal and ethical boundaries and spread awareness about the positive aspects of AI and its contribution to improving human life. 

There is a great need for collaboration among industry, academia, and legal bodies. Big-Tech giants need to come together and design the roles of the game. AI is a powerful tool that if left to the interests and will of individual developers or corporations can bring havoc to the earth and human existence. Thus there is a great need for the industry stakeholders to define roles and regulations for the development of AI tools for the future. 

There is also a need to design legal and ethical boundaries for the development of Artificial Intelligence based tools. Complex issues such as cybercrime and the use of AI tools to generate fake news must be seen and observed through the lens of legal and ethical boundaries. It must not be left to the independent decision-making capacity of AI tools to make and design everything about everyone. 

Another major step in promoting the true potential of AI is to spread awareness regarding the positive aspects of AI and its true use for the betterment of human life. There need to be debates and curriculum designs that incorporate subjects and lessons about AI and its potential. An informed general public is the best way to reap the full benefits of Artificial Intelligence. 

To sum up, Artificial Intelligence is one of the best things to have happened in the 21st century. On the contrary, AI does pose some serious challenges to the conventional security of nations. It has proved to be a demonizing source of misinformation and a breach of personal privacy. It has also contributed to the job loss of millions of people globally. However, it is only our lack of knowledge and negative mental attitude that inclines us to only see the negative side of the coin. AI has the potential to boost governance and enable governments to deliver services more timely and comfortably. AI helps enhance not only the conventional but also the unconventional cyber security paradigms. It helps in creating more jobs and fosters better and easier learning methods. With that, it has a key role in the health sector that has the prospects of longevity for mankind. However, they all require collaboration and consensus among all the stakeholders and campaigns of public awareness to truly harness the full potential of Artificial Intelligence. This is the road to be travelled if we want a more responsible and reasonable use of Artificial Intelligence. 

Outline followed: 

1.      Introduction:

a.       Thesis statement:                    

AI has undoubtedly presented society with multifaceted dilemmas, ranging from threats to security and personal privacy to job displacement and misinformation. While these concerns are valid, it is essential to recognize that AI also offers immense opportunities for improved governance, enhanced security, job creation, better learning, and advancements in healthcare.

2.      Brief history and definition of AI.

3.      Challenges associated with Artificial Intelligence.

                                                              i.      AI is a threat to conventional security.

                                                            ii.      AI is a source of misinformation.

                                                          iii.      AI will displace jobs.

                                                          iv.      AI is a threat to personal privacy.

4.      Prospects of Artificial Intelligence.

                                                              i.      AI improves governance.

                                                            ii.      AI enhances security.

                                                          iii.      AI creates more jobs.

                                                          iv.      AI fosters better learning.

                                                            v.      AI has a great role in healthcare sector.

5.      Using AI more responsibly requires.

                                                              i.      Collaboration among industry, academia, and legal bodies.

                                                            ii.      Need for setting legal and ethical boundaries.

                                                          iii.      Need to spread awareness regarding the positive prospects of AI.

6.      Conclusion.