AI usage in critical decisions and actions

 AI usage in critical decisions and actions

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Malachi Jenkinson

Artificial intelligence in this day and age has become present in many sectors of life, whether that be for better or worse, and with growth in the capabilities of AI every week, many people and companies have adopted AI in replace of work performed by humans. 

Perhaps if this was to continue where AI could be used to perform surgery, or to be used everywhere in warfare, it has to be asked, “Can we really have AI in control of these important decisions or actions?”

To begin this discussion, we’ve become ironically self aware of the potential dangers of having technology and AI ubiquitously integrated into everyday lives to a humorous level. If you haven’t seen a movie like Wall-E (2008) or Idiocracy (2006), they show how a future society could trend backwards, with technology of different kinds being present all throughout (if you count hovering chairs and invasive advertising being the pinnacles of future technology).

Although when we portray AI as being used to quickly generate an essay or assignment without putting in an ounce of effort, are we really that far from such a reality?

A scene from Wall-E. Are we steering towards this reality with AI?

But rather than focusing on these grim predictions set far, far in the future, we can just focus on what AI is being used for now, and see if we should consider it in those major decisions. Going through its early stages, it has mostly had its use in creative applications for most people, whether that be in design, giving summaries on a topic or for fun projects, like initiatives replicating video games using AI[1]. 

However, AI, specifically machine learning (using algorithms to produce models) is already extending itself to the world of work, and has seen applications in medicine. At the same time, governments have gained concerns, with the British government publishing a report on the potential of cyberterrorism using AI[2]. 

This leads us to consider the mixed bag of results and potentials with AI. Is it a warrant for concern? Let’s see in detail their uses.

In terms of employment and GDP growth, up to 300 million jobs according to numerous reports could be replaced with AI, and an overall GDP growth of up to 7% could occur.[3] 

Does this mean we are able to take a permanent vacation and let AI do all the monotonous work for us? Well, this would be a rather massive change to society, which I believe would mean we simply shift to different jobs which humans have the, ‘so to speak’, creative advantage over AI, but even then, will these be replaced by AI in the future?

Moving on to the world of medicine, a paper published by Franceso Angelucci, neuroscientist of Motol University Hospital, considers AI as a potential tool for fighting advancing Alzheimers[4]. Now, this article discusses AIs involvement in aspects like monitoring patients or improving treatments. So far. 

There’s a lot of different views on whether AI should be used past that point in medicine, where life and death are in the balance, like surgery. Surgery, after all, requires precise and delicate actions in the operating theater, and critical decisions under time pressure.

While it can be said that AI should be better at performing these, operating under no pressure and being trained specifically to perform a task, it may feel to some their life is out of human hands, seemingly an alien concept not directly having someone responsible for your life. 

Although, in such a time where technology is truly blooming, it really is left up to you to decide whether you want to see a human or not before ‘going under’.

Machines being the sole operator in the operating room soon?

To wrap this up, we’ve seen how AI has been used both in a day to day setting, giving a quick summary on something from different types of coffee to a history assignment, all the way up to its use in saving lives. While I think it holds great promise, we’re still experimenting with something new here, and some don’t like this type of change.

So, where do you find yourself with this? Do you embrace this new side of technology or distance yourself from it? Leave a comment below!

Sources

[1] - AI project replicating Minecraft, Oasis.

[2] - Research on the Cyber Security of AI 

[3] - Goldman Sachs Article, mentioned in BBC Article 

[4] - ScienceDirect Research Paper