Artificial intelligence is progressing quickly and could be used for a lot of good, like accelerating medical discoveries or advancing our goal of achieving the commercial use of fusion energy.
However, whether through intentional means or as a by-product of AI's imperfections, there are plenty of reasons to be cautious, too:
1. Harmful videos for kids
YouTube channels meant for children are being infiltrated by low-effort AI-generated videos that are meant to grab and keep the attention of children and are often nonsensical.
Despite what some may claim, they serve no educational purpose and are devoid of the same types of life lessons featured on shows such as "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" and "Sesame Street."
2. Advancements moving too fast
AI technology is progressing incredibly fast, and many people's understanding of it and government regulation is failing to keep up. AI-generated images and videos are getting harder to distinguish from what's real, which could be used to misinform and even harm individuals.
Although AI behavior can still be predictable and it still makes mistakes, its reasoning and creativity are advancing, and some AI systems can even recognize and evade mechanisms intended as guardrails. Some AI companies are strengthening safeguards, but that may not be enough.
3. Fake political campaigns
AI can be used to fabricate grassroots movements and affect policy, legislation, and political campaigns. It can generate massive amounts of emails that appear to come from constituents and sway policymakers in the desired direction by those behind the fake movement.
The Los Angeles Times discovered a recent example in which it appears AI was used to drive a fierce opposition campaign that helped kill a proposal to phase out new gas appliances in parts of Southern California.
4. Possible financial chaos
A little-known financial research firm conducted what it called a thought exercise using AI, and the results had real-world consequences in the stock market. The exercise was based on the question of whether optimism about AI could actually lead to an economic downturn.
The firm, Citrini Research, laid out a reasonable chain of market fluctuations and let autonomous AI systems go to work. What followed in the simulation was widespread white-collar layoffs, followed by mortgage meltdowns as capital flowed into tech and AI sectors.
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5. Incorrect and damaging transcriptions
AI systems being used in England and Scotland to record and summarize conversations between social workers and children are a perfect example of why AI's work needs to be checked. One social worker said that AI added words that were never said.
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