In January 2023 I wrote a brief article about artificial intelligence in movies. The article focussed on how the tech often described as ‘sci-fi’ is becoming reality right before our very eyes.
In less than 18 months (May 2024) we have seen yet another staggering breakthrough from OpenAI. A chatbot (OpenAI GPT-4o) that is so stunningly similar to the movie “Her”, starring Scarlett Johannsson and Joaquim Phoenix that the actress had to call in her lawyers.
The tech is super-cool but the ramifications are world-changing. The question is, what can we do about this potential threat to our identity as humans? In this article, we discuss just that. Here goes…
The reality is here today
Everyone right now (2024) has heard about artificial intelligence, the reality has arrived for sure. But unfortunately, for some reason, most people seem to think artificial intelligence is just another form of computer programming.
Many do not grasp that this is fundamentally different. The staggering difference is that what is being created here are artificial thinking beings. In a few short months, these silicon-based intelligences could be smarter than every human being on the planet. Let that sink in for a second.
If human beings are no longer the smartest kid on the block, what does that mean for society, what becomes of us? Let’s take a closer look.
Job transformation
In less than 18 months we have gone from AI-generated images to fully AI-generated movie clips and chatbots that sound and act like movie actresses.
Within 18 months from now and as the technology seeps into everyday life, you can expect the workplace to be disrupted. As AI Agents (think of them as artificial personal assistants) are deployed, many of the tasks we do on our laptops and PCs will be handled by AI.
Expect many admin jobs, customer service, accounting, data entry, messaging and anything that involves clicking at a computer screen to be handled by AI Agents.
Businesses will be looking to phase in AI Agents to reduce costs, increase productivity and more importantly increase profits.
Remember these AI Agents are not not simple computer programs. They will learn much like you and I learn and once trained they can do the job perfectly and adapt accordingly just like a human.
Expect them to have the ability to speak and communicate just like a human and make calls on behalf of a human too.
As AI combines with robotics expect traditional manual labour tasks to be disrupted too.
Creative industries
The creative industries were once considered safe due to the complexities of creating art and simulating human creativity was once considered almost impossible.
The reality is staggeringly, different. Today AI is able to create songs from just a prompt, change your voice to sound like anyone else and generate entire movie-quality clips from just a short description.
In 18 months’ time expect entire movies created from AI-generated content. Content creators and influencers on platforms like YouTube could be a dying breed as the first AI-generated media influencers start gaining millions of views online.
Voice-over artists, actors, and movie stars could see their likenesses licenced and utilised by AI-backed production houses to create original content.
As the long-term memory of AI increases, novelists and screenplay writers could see their craft come under fire from AI-generated content.
Healthcare advancements
On a positive front, AI could see huge advances in healthcare. Projects like Google’s DeepMind have used AI to solve the problem of protein folding with AlphaFold. Advancements like these would be impossible for humans to figure out by ourselves.
In 18 months’ time, we can expect AI to be used to enhance biology, chemistry and physics. We can expect new treatments, new materials and new technology created with the assistance of AI.
AI systems can assist in diagnosing diseases with greater accuracy by analysing medical images and patient data, which can lead to earlier and more accurate diagnoses. In 18 months this technology could be commonplace and in use globally.
Ethical and Social Challenges
There are major social and ethical challenges that come with the advancement of AI.
Many attach their feeling of self-worth or value to a job. As traditional jobs become more fluid traditional workers will need to find other ways to give themselves a sense of value.
Unfortunately, AI is only as good as the data it is trained on. The creators of AI models will need to protect public safety by ensuring negative biases and unfair discrimination are not baked into the system by skewed data.
The issue of privacy will be a major concern and regulators may need to step in to protect the likenesses of individuals, including their image voice and bodily characteristics to avoid their use in AI-generated content that could be used for malicious or even illegal purposes.
Government responsibility and safety nets
Governments will need to get up to speed quickly to enable the creation of safety nets for workers during the job displacement phase.
Unemployment Benefits and Retraining Support: Governments should enhance unemployment benefits to provide financial stability for displaced workers while they retrain for new jobs.
This can be complemented by retraining support, including career counselling and job placement services.
Punitive measures should be replaced with supportive measures. Governments will need to accept that the concept of mass employment has changed forever.
Universal Basic Income (UBI): Exploring the implementation of UBI can provide a safety net for all citizens, ensuring a basic level of income regardless of employment status or wealth.
This can help reduce economic insecurity and allow individuals to pursue education or entrepreneurial ventures without the immediate pressure of finding a new job.
It is essential that UBI is based on cash amounts that a citizen can actually live on rather than punitive amounts to force workers into low-paid, short-term solutions. Universal High Income (UHI) should be the final destination for all. UHI will give everyone a healthy income regardless of background which will be subsidised by the productivity of AI and automated robots.
Governments will need to calculate the amount they are currently spending on the distribution and administration of multiple benefits, including unemployment, health, housing, pensions and other industry-specific supportive schemes.
They will need to then balance that with the value of one benefit paid to all workers regardless of socio-economic status.
Finally, governments themselves may find they are encroached on by AI as AI Agents are found to be more efficient than human civil servants. Governments themselves will need to utilise the technology to reduce costs and save resources.
What can we do?
New Forms of Entrepreneurship: AI will enable new forms of entrepreneurship and small business development. What this will look like in practice only time will tell.
Many of the traditional ways to make money online will fail to work as online search loses its popularity to AI-based question-and-answer models.
Local Services and Niche Markets: AI is less likely to disrupt jobs that require a human touch, such as personal care services, home repair, and local artisanal businesses. Identifying and catering to niche markets can provide a stable and profitable income source.
Remote Work: The shift towards remote work, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has opened up new possibilities for freelancers. Remote work opportunities are plentiful in fields such as software development, digital marketing, content creation, and customer support.
Gig Work: While these jobs may not always offer long-term stability, they can serve as a supplementary income source or a stepping stone to other opportunities.
The sharing economy provides another avenue for earning income by maximising the use of personal assets.
Ride-Sharing and Delivery: Ride-sharing companies allow individuals to use their vehicles to earn money through ride-sharing and delivery services. These platforms offer flexibility and can be a valuable supplementary income source.
Short-Term Rentals: Platforms like Airbnb enable individuals to rent out their homes or spare rooms to travellers. This can provide a significant income stream, especially in popular tourist destinations.
Peer-to-Peer Lending: Peer-to-peer lending sites allow individuals to lend money directly to others, earning interest on their investments. While this involves some risk, it can be a profitable way to generate passive income.
Education: The idea of education being only for the young will become a thing of the past. Students of any age will take up learning to expand their minds, experiences and to make new social interactions.
Final thoughts
AI’s impact on society will be profound and multifaceted. It offers transformative benefits across various sectors, but also poses significant ethical, social, and economic challenges.
Addressing these challenges through thoughtful regulation, ethical considerations, and inclusive development practices will be key to harnessing AI’s potential for the greater good.
All fingers crossed!
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