Only a decade ago, artificial intelligence (AI) was mediocre at best. While it could perform some rudimentary tasks, its value was more as a whimsical assistant that provided laughable answers to pointed questions than a reliable source of information and task management.
This lackluster AI is a far cry from what we have today. The advancement of LLMs (large language modules) and sophisticated algorithms has forever changed not only the tech industry but almost every other sector as well.
Present in everything from our messaging programs to our news feeds, AI curates our digital lives. Whether you need it to research the best hotels to stay at or to find the newest sweeps casinos, AI can handle almost anything you throw at it. But as its capabilities increase, many are asking if it is beginning to reach too far.
To unpack this question, there are various considerations to explore. Join us as we examine the most significant factors to determine whether AI’s expansion is justified or if it should start slowing down.
Ethical Considerations
Among the most prominent considerations and, in fact, the most mentioned concerns surrounding AI are its ethical repercussions. These come in various forms, all tied to how AI is used and how people interact with it. In general, two main issues arise:
Privacy
Because LLMs learn by studying immense datasets of information, many have voiced concerns over the privacy of people’s information. This info, which could include private data such as social security numbers, home addresses, or even biometric data, could possibly be scraped by AI models in an attempt to learn. This degrades privacy and raises concerns about how this info could be used.
Bias
While top AI developers like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic claim they make every effort to create AI models that feature zero bias, the truth is this is incredibly challenging. Because these systems are trained on large volumes of data, which could hold a bias, they could develop a sense of bias. Should this occur, any application they are used for, like loan applications, could also have a bias.
Social Considerations
Tied closely with the ethical considerations, AI has—and likely will continue to—created many social implications. Despite modern AI being made conversational and more human-like, these still appear to have adverse effects on society in two distinct ways.
Human Connections
As with almost all forms of technology, AI has accelerated the erosion of human connections. As people worldwide rely more on artificial intelligence as a tool for communication (such as drafting business and even personal emails), socialization gradually dissipates. Over time, this could lead to a decline in meaningful human interaction and empathy.
Social Manipulation
As the Cambridge Analytica scandal demonstrated, digital media can easily be used to influence and even manipulate large portions of society. When AI controls this media, the same is true. Therefore, many are concerned that AI may, in the future, have undue influence over the general public and be able to manipulate it according to the whims of whoever is programming and controlling it.
Economic Considerations
In contrast to the two considerations above, AI economically benefits many industries. By streamlining production processes and automating specific tasks, many companies have been able to cut costs and increase productivity. However, these benefits come at a price.
Job Replacement
The most prominent cost is the loss of many jobs across various industries. As jobs requiring a human touch are taken over by AI, the people who used to complete the task are let go. This is causing higher levels of unemployment and less disposable income that can be funneled back into the economy.
Monopolies
Unlike the popular board game, business monopolies are commonly frowned upon as they give a concerning concentration of power to a handful of companies or executives. With the most powerful AI models controlled by a small selection of companies, there is a legitimate concern over abuse of power.
Environmental Considerations
Environmental considerations surrounding the use and development of AI are less commonly referenced than other concerns. These worries highlight the effect that modern AI has on the physical planet around us, particularly in terms of global warming.
The primary concern surrounding this issue is the extensive computational power that almost all modern AI models require. This processing power results in incredibly high electricity usage levels and has a material impact on generated heat and power drawn—which needs to be generated.
An article published by Scientific American in 2023 provided an example outlining the extent of the issue. The research presented estimates that training an LLM like ChatGPT-3 uses 1,287-megawatt hours of power—the same as driving 123 gas-powered vehicles for an entire year.
Mitigation Factors
As each consideration raised above has come to light, AI developers have quickly offered assurances, promises, and long speeches on how they are unwarranted. Despite this, most have implemented policies to mitigate the concerns.
The most common policies implemented by the biggest names in AI include extensive data privacy policies and transparency. However, considering all these require the companies themselves to adhere to them, they are only as good as their word.
One developer who stands out in this regard is Anthropic, the company responsible for Claude AI. Focusing almost all its efforts on the creation of ethical AI, the company has outlined the need for ethical frameworks in models and for companies to be fully transparent in developing models and how they are trained.
Despite these efforts, however, even the company hailed as the most ethical AI creator has been found lacking.
Is AI Reaching Too Far?
The answer to whether AI is reaching too far depends entirely on who is doing the answering. Those who advocate for the expansion of AI will likely say it is not and argue that much more can be achieved through its evolution. However, these same people may be driven by the bottom line and AI’s power.
Conversely, those who raise the above concerns will argue that AI has already extended its reach beyond what should be allowed. While this perspective helps protect against potential harm, it may also hinder technology that could bring significant benefits to the world.
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