Much is being written and spoken about artificial intelligence (AI) being developed in the world. Whether we realize it or not, we have been growing more dependent on such intelligence for the last two decades. In our home, Alexa will answer our questions about the weather, bring in news, update us on television programs and more. Alexa was a gift that we didn’t know we needed.
I have an Android phone and just like Apple’s Siri, Google can search out topics across the internets almost instantly. Google and Siri are fun to have, and I know more than one doctor who uses Siri for information. Cars and trucks today arrive on the lots with more computer power than was used to get the first spaceship to the moon and back. Common items such as defensive braking now react faster than our foot to the brake pedal. Adaptive cruise control on busy highways makes driving much easier and less tiresome.
Even my Libre 2 for tracking my glucose levels sets off alarm bells when my blood sugars drop dangerously low or skyrockets. The intelligence protects me. Netflix and Prime Video both recommend shows and movies to us on our computers, and phones. Both understand our habits.
The question now facing every nation and every person in the world is “How far should we allow AI to proceed? We see action-packed movies that use robots to fight galactic wars without human interference. Do we wish to maintain control over war systems? Just as the world negotiated limits on nuclear weapons between superpowers, should nations be creating ethical limits to the use of AI? Henry Kissinger, now 100, has called for the world’s leaders to begin such a dialogue. In a 2018 essay in The Atlantic, Kissinger noted “Human society is unprepared for the rise of artificial intelligence.” He noted that for all the destructiveness of nuclear weapons, “They don’t have the capacity of starting themselves on the basis of perception of danger or of picking targets.”
Teachers in high schools, colleges, and universities are discovering original essays being submitted for grading by their students that are actually being authored by artificial intelligence. Voice and music can now be fully created by artificial intelligence. Any person’s voice can now be duplicated.
In June 2022, the government of Canada announced $443 million to seek out world-class talent and cutting-edge research capacity to develop adoption and commercialization of AI across the Canadian economy. The funding is expected to make industries more competitive and productive and expand the growth of our digital economy.
We may only be seeing the tip of the iceberg with the use of artificial intelligence, but we must also begin understanding its implications on our health and world. A brave new world is unfolding before our eyes.
