Man Vs. Machine’: How Artificial Intelligence Will Impact The Future
The Matrix. I, Robot. Bicentennial Man. All three are films. All three focus on the theme of artificial intelligence or A.I.
A.I has come under conversation at the onset of the 2020s. Following the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, which prompted the acceleration of the reliance on technology, the conversation around A.I has expanded the conversation around all social and cultural zeitgeist.
From education to law to entertainment, A.I has been under careful scrutiny surrounding the benefits and consequences of everyday use. Author Robin Madel, in her 2024 article for US World Report News, “Will Artificial Intelligence Steal My Job?”, writes, “Employees in many industries are worried about whether artificial intelligence will make their jobs irrelevant. While these fears are valid, the human element is still highly valued, according to a trio of AI experts who were asked to reflect on whether AI is likely to steal jobs in the near future.” What does it mean to live in a world of fully-immersed A.I? What will happen to the role of thought and autonomy?
Technology has become something of a global operation where a simple algorithm is just as valuable as any international currency. Algorithms and access. What’s driving the conversation surrounding A.I is access. Access to words, access to information, access to opportunities, access to money, and access to people.
Vishnu Pendyala, in her 2024 article for The Hill, “Public Records Data Must Be Off-Limits for AI”, writes, “Companies are looking for innovative ways to collect data to feed their data-hungry artificial intelligence systems and create innovative applications… then, there are the companies that collect data from public records to share on the internet and run analytics.” Politicians, Lobbyists, and Information Scientists alike are discussing the pros and cons of being able to share public information through AI.
This is a triangular conundrum, where commerce, ethics, and law are at play. At some point, these three things will be factors in the decision making of how A.I will be fully integrated. What is clear is that A.I will enhance elements of work and life and will certainly be a major step towards efficiency. However, with that major step comes a big amount of responsibility and the repercussions of the impact will be felt for generations to come.
