In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerges as both a marvel and a mystery. As we witness its rapid growth, the crucial question lingers: Is the ascent of AI a boon, propelling us into a new era of innovation, or does it harbor risks that demand caution? Join us on a journey into the heart of this technological revolution, where we’ll unravel the potential and pitfalls of growing AI. Together, we’ll explore whether AI is good or bad.
Cannot Compute, What is AI?
If you haven’t messed with any AI technology yet, you’re really missing out. Personally, I find it fascinating as it brings me closer to the sci-fi movies I watched as a child. Of course, I didn’t understand what was happening in those movies, but the technology was cool.
Fast forward to today. We have this quickly emerging AI tech, which really became popular with ChatGPT. ChatGPT is a very intelligent chatbot that uses AI to find your answers. With the creation of ChatGPT came a ton of programmers to expand on that technology. My personal favorite at the time of writing is AI art. I always wanted to be an artist but never wanted to take the time to learn that skill. But now, with AI art, I can live my dreams of becoming an artist.
Some may think you wouldn’t be an artist since you’re not “creating” the art. However, I challenge that because you need to know how to make good prompts and be able to tell a computer what you want with the vision that’s in your head. The bot is just my assistant.
Samples
Below are some samples of art created by AI. The “featured image” was also created by AI. I just had to give the bot prompts and tell it what type of style I wanted everything in. Detail is key; the more detailed you are, the closer it’ll be to your vision. I’m currently addicted to creating new art and might put some up on my website in the future.
The Good
I hope you’re amazed by the pictures above; they truly are amazing. So, is AI good? I believe AI is beneficial for certain things. The pictures above give some examples of what it can be used for. Perhaps you want to show a model in a different pose before you call them and waste money. Or you want some concept art for your book or story. Maybe you want to draw something quickly but don’t have the time. You can even create ads for companies. Whatever it is, AI art can do it.
However, art isn’t the only thing that’s good about AI; the chatbot is also fantastic. It can answer any question you may have, pending that it does not compromise anyone’s safety. It’s also useful for writing papers, coming up with quick stories, and helping out with math homework. In fact, maybe you noticed that my first paragraph for this post wasn’t really my style of writing; it was written by ChatGPT. ChatGPT is free; if you want to try it, I’ll link it here.
AI technology continues to expand; I even saw they are working on AI audio and video. However, with it continuing to expand, I do have some concerns. This brings me to the bad.
The Bad
We’ve all seen the movies. AI robots take control of themselves and go rogue, killing humans and taking over the world. But can that really happen? Engineers program safety protocols into these bots so that doesn’t happen, but this is open software, meaning anyone can get a hold of it. I believe it’s only a matter of time before government agencies or rogue people turn it into a weapon.
AI can be trained to do whatever you want. Could this be a future weapon of mass destruction? Let’s hope not. What about overthrowing governments? Could this technology be used to create fake, forged signatures? How about AI art of higher-powered people meeting with the enemy? Could we start a war with AI? Only time will tell.
One of my favorite movies, which I encourage everyone to watch, is Ex-Machina by Alex Garland. It’s a beautiful piece about how AI can go bad. The synopsis is:
“A young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.”
What Can Change?
Thinking of the power of AI, there can be a lot of upcoming changes to humanity. Plenty of careers could be in jeopardy because of it. Think of illustrators, writers, graphic designers, and even actors in the future. Why would studios and companies pay thousands for an idea when they can get it for cheap/free?
As it continues to grow, and as AI audio and video develop, we may be watching full AI-created films in the future. It may be far away, but it’s not impossible. However, I’m sure someone will still need to monitor this tech, so while it might eliminate some jobs, it’ll create others. It’s all part of the ever-changing world of technology that we live in.
Conclusion
Final verdict on AI? I believe it’s both good and bad. At this moment, we can enjoy the good and hope it never reaches the other end of the spectrum. Using AI to enrich our entertainment and create beautiful art is wonderful but can be scary in the wrong hands.
Thinking about AI has inspired me to write a story I hope to release on my site someday. If you’re interested in the story, sign up for updates below.
What are your thoughts? Do you think AI is good or bad? Share in the comments below.