Written By Josiah Cole
Absolutely dominating the tech news for the last month and seeping into the “mainstream” news has been AI or Artificial Intelligence. Spurred by the release of a powerful and immediately useful AI chat tool called ChatGPT, AI has emerged as the hottest and to some, the scariest new technology since the invention of the Internet itself.
Let’s break down what it is, and what it isn’t. First the players and terms:
- OpenAI: The company that created the new Artificial Intelligence (AI) products.
- ChatGTP: AI powered chat created by OpenAI.
- GTP-3: The AI “language model” that powers ChatGTP.
- GTP-4: A newer and more powerful language model.
- DALL-E: AI powered image generator.
- Microsoft: Provided the majority of funding for OpenAI in exchange for exclusive access.
- Bing: Microsoft’s search engine that’s been enhanced with OpenAI technology.
Right now, AI is an amazing tool to create new digital content. You can use ChatGTP to help you with your homework, write marketing copy, debug code or create fantastic images that never existed all using natural human language directions like: “Make me an image of a corgi in space wearing a cowboy hat” With a new paid model for OpenAI, and a dozen competitors, AI has unleashed thousands of developers, hard at work creating new services and tools that will amaze humanity in new ways.
What AI isn’t is a completely independent, free-thinking entity with feelings and self-determination. It might be hard to determine that based on your very realistic conversations with AI chat, but that might also be a sign that the line between “living” and not is truly greyer than we think.
The concern longer term with AI is that it will be used for much more powerful things than chat, which interacts in our physical world in a way that might cause us harm. AI powered weapons, or simply AI powered safety mechanisms (think self-driving cars) are the first level of concern. Looking further forward, an AI tool that can evolve itself, and prevent humans from maintaining control are what keep AI pioneers awake at night.
Many of these pioneers have called for a “pause” in AI development, to allow safety protocols and government policy to catch up. Similar to the atomic weapons program undertaken in secrecy by the United States but copied by the Soviets, AI technology cannot be contained to one company, country, or even a collective given it’s potential. Unlike atomic weapons, the technology to develop AI is inexpensive and very accessible which makes it proliferation to every corner of the globe guaranteed.
Don’t fret! The best way to ease your worry is to get familiar with AI and keep informed as policies are developed to protect consumers … and humanity!
For fun and demonstrative reasons, I had ChatGTP write this article using the following prompt:
“write a blog article describing the recent developments in AI, make a bullet list of the players and products in AI, and then a little about what effect it will have on society moving forward including concerns about safety”
You be the judge: Which is better?
Recent Developments in AI: Players, Products, and Potential Impact
Written By AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been transforming our world for some time now, and the pace of change is only accelerating. From self-driving cars to voice assistants, AI is making its mark on a growing number of industries, and the technology shows no signs of slowing down. In this article, we’ll explore some of the recent developments in AI, take a look at some of the major players in the space, and discuss the potential impact that AI could have on society moving forward.
Recent Developments in AI
In recent years, AI has made significant strides in a number of areas, including:
- Natural language processing (NLP): AI algorithms are getting better at understanding and processing human language. This is leading to the development of more advanced voice assistants and chatbots, as well as more accurate language translation tools.
- Computer vision: AI is making it possible for machines to “see” and interpret images and videos. This has led to the development of self-driving cars, facial recognition technology, and more.
- Robotics: AI is being used to develop robots that can perform increasingly complex tasks. This includes everything from warehouse automation to surgical procedures.
- Predictive analytics: AI is being used to analyze large amounts of data and make predictions about future events. This has applications in everything from marketing to healthcare.
Major Players in AI
There are a number of major players in the AI space, including:
- Google: Google is investing heavily in AI, and has developed a number of products that make use of the technology, including Google Assistant and Google Translate.
- Microsoft: Microsoft is also heavily invested in AI, with products like Cortana and the Azure Machine Learning platform.
- Amazon: Amazon is using AI to power a number of its products, including Alexa and its recommendation engine.
- IBM: IBM’s Watson platform is one of the most well-known AI platforms, and has been used in a number of industries, including healthcare and finance.
- OpenAI: OpenAI is a research organization that is dedicated to developing safe AI. It has developed a number of language processing tools, including the GPT-3 model.
Potential Impact of AI on Society
The potential impact of AI on society is significant, and there are a number of concerns about the technology. Some of the potential benefits of AI include:
- Increased efficiency: AI has the potential to automate a number of tasks, which could lead to increased efficiency in a variety of industries.
- Improved healthcare: AI has the potential to improve healthcare by analyzing patient data and helping doctors make more accurate diagnoses.
- Safer transportation: Self-driving cars have the potential to reduce the number of accidents on the road.
However, there are also concerns about the impact of AI on society, including:
- Job displacement: As AI becomes more advanced, it has the potential to displace workers in a number of industries.
- Bias: AI algorithms can be biased, which could lead to discrimination in a number of areas, including hiring and lending.
- Safety concerns: As AI becomes more advanced, there are concerns about the safety of the technology. For example, there are concerns about the safety of self-driving cars and the potential for AI to be used in cyber attacks.
Moving Forward
AI is transforming our world, and the pace of change is only accelerating. While there are concerns about the impact of the technology, there is also potential for AI to bring about significant benefits. As we move forward, it will be important to carefully consider the potential impact of AI on society, and to work to ensure that the technology is used in a responsible and ethical manner.