With the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in everyday life, the discourse around whether it is helping or hurting humanity has increased. Many are worried about AI, with 52% of Americans being more concerned than excited about its increased usage. AI has been applied to various industries and can serve many purposes, but this new technology has many people wondering — Is AI good for humanity?
Negative Impacts
Cybercrime
Cybercriminals are exploiting AI to scam people. 1) AI can automate tasks like phishing, where machine learning algorithms create convincing fake emails or messages to deceive victims. Because of AI’s ability to process large amounts of data, phishing emails sent using AI are often more personalized and seem more legitimate. 2) Scammers use random numbers to call someone, record their voice during the conversation, and use AI to create a deepfake—a fake version of the person’s voice. Cybercriminals can use this deepfake in scams, such as calling their family, pretending the person has been kidnapped, and demanding a ransom. And 3) AI can identify system vulnerabilities, enabling hackers to launch precise and timely attacks. It even aids in disguising malicious software, making it harder for traditional cybersecurity tools to detect threats.
Water Wastage
AI servers produce significant amounts of heat, so data centers use cooling towers to dissipate the heat. These cooling systems use gallons of water. AI also uses water due to the electricity that has to be produced for it to work, with 10-30 chatGPT prompts using over 500 milliliters of water. This level of water consumption strains our resources and can cause environmental issues. As AI is integrated into more companies, the depletion of our natural resources is only increasing.
Positive Impacts
Innovation
The capability of AI allows it to revolutionize many fields. For example, batteries usually take a while to develop as many potential material combinations exist. A battery made by Sila took over 500,000 iterations to get to the final product. However, with the integration of AI, startups can now analyze and simulate thousands of material combinations in mere minutes, drastically reducing development time. AI achieves this through advanced algorithms, machine learning, and data-driven insights that create solutions without exhaustive physical testing.
This ability to rapidly process and evaluate possibilities has transformative implications across industries. In pharmaceuticals, AI can analyze large-scale biomedical data and test various combinations of chemical compounds to create an effective drug. The same could be said for materials science where new concepts for construction materials could be generated instantly. AI has the power to drive innovation in essentially every sector.
Climate Change
AI’s abilities could help us better understand how climate change affects the world. Currently, AI is being used to track iceberg changes to determine how fast they are melting. Space Intelligence, a satellite company, is training AI on its satellite data to map deforestation across the globe.
AI is often utilized for its data processing capabilities. It can analyze data to identify strategies for reducing emissions, improving waste management, and transitioning to a framework based on renewable energy sources. AI can model and optimize solutions that guide policymakers to informed decisions, allowing governments and organizations to implement proactive measures to prevent the worst effects of pollution and climate change, creating more sustainable and resilient communities.
Verdict
AI’s ability to learn from a data set, process and analyze data, and create ideas means it is a tool to use nearly anywhere. It can have many harmful applications, such as waste of resources and cybercrime. However, AI also has many positive applications, as it is a catalyst for innovation and can be used to model climate change, among other things. It is up to each person to decide whether AI is beneficial. Ultimately, it is simply a tool, and its impact on humanity depends on how we use it.
Works Cited
Faverio, Michelle, and Alec Tyson. “What the Data Says about Americans’ Views of Artificial Intelligence.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 21 Nov. 2023, www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/11/21/what-the-data-says-about-americans-views-of-artificial-intelligence/.
Crownhart, Casey. “How AI Could Supercharge Battery Research.” MIT Technology Review, 12 Oct. 2023, www.technologyreview.com/2023/10/12/1081502/ai-battery-research/.
Masterson, Victoria. “9 Ways AI Is Being Deployed to Fight Climate Change.” World Economic Forum, 12 Feb. 2024, www.weforum.org/stories/2024/02/ai-combat-climate-change/.
Vora, Lalitkumar K., et al. “Artificial Intelligence in Pharmaceutical Technology and Drug Delivery Design.” Pharmaceutics, vol. 15, no. 7, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, July 2023, pp. 1916–16, https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15071916.
Charlene. “How Hackers and Scammers Use AI (Artificial Intelligence).” Cyber-Seniors Inc., 7 July 2023, cyberseniors.org/uncategorized/how-hackers-and-scammers-use-ai-artificial-intelligence/.