The boom of artificial intelligence or AI in recent years has sparked an enormous debate regarding its impacts, especially its most popular variant: generative AI. Those who created these technologies believe they will revolutionise any industry that applies them. From simple tasks like content creation to complex tasks like data analysis and security, there is a generative AI tool.
However, some fear generative AI for many reasons and call for regulations for its use. Because of their fear, the debate regarding the pros and cons of generative AI continues to influence its use and the development of potential safeguards or additional improvements.
But why do people fear generative AI? Is it warranted? Or is it simply for an argument? Here are the reasons why people are scared of generative AI:
AI Can Be Programmed To Follow Biases
One of the most notable arguments against generative AI is that developers can program these tools to be biased and influence public opinion.
This concern is not unwarranted because bias is quite common in almost every system, and those who use these systems regularly are influenced by how they see specific issues or subjects. For example, only selected stories are published in newspapers and news sites, which often causes controversy. When social media platforms were introduced, they had their terms of service and algorithms that influenced their approved posts and what their viewers could see. The effect of these systems on its users is seen in the various news outlets, showing how people were influenced by what they saw on the news or social media.
For generative AI, it uses algorithms to learn how to do tasks and how to respond to prompts. Since algorithms are calibrated, it is pretty easy to add biased content to them to influence their prompts. Because of this, many want generative AI monitored and restricted to prevent these biases from affecting the work of these AI tools.
It Will Push People Out Of Their Jobs
Aside from causing biases to persist, many people are also scared that the constant development and use of AI will cause many companies to replace their employees with robots and cause these employees to lose their sources of income.
This is another warranted fear since, in recent months, many companies and businesses have laid off workers and invested heavily in AI. Some even embraced AI to the point that generative AI tools now fill the positions left by workers. Since AI is yet to be regulated, many believe these layoffs will continue to happen and eventually lead to the removal of jobs altogether. There is also the fact there are no replacement jobs or careers these laid-off workers can get into in which AI is not involved.
SPAM
With ChatGPT at the forefront of the AI revolution, some in the marketing industry believe that wanton use of the tool and many others can lead to the persistence of SPAM or low-quality content.
This is already a common problem, as there have been numerous reports of individuals and companies alike that use ChatGPT and publish inaccurate and even false content. As a result, those who use this “ghostwritten” content are left with inconsistent and false data that affect their work’s accuracy and reputation. Some clients even turn away from any business or individual using AI for their work, fearing spam content influencing their service.
Cybersecurity
Since it is pretty popular, some argue that AI tools can be used to create cybersecurity threats to those who use them. There may be a coder that can exploit these AI tools or even make a rogue AI posing as a “legitimate” AI tool. Once used, these exploited or rogue AI will trigger cybersecurity threats that are hard to detect and counter. Should these exploits be spotted, it can be too late to remedy.
Even if there are tools available to provide security against these threats, some people argue that it is not enough as a protective barrier. A few even say that these security tools have vulnerabilities that some AI tools can be coded to exploit.
Stolen Identity And Other Related Attacks
It is already a growing problem online that deepfake videos are being shared on the internet and causing trouble for those who receive it but also those who were the subject of the videos. Most of these deepfakes are made by AI, and while some are easy to identify, it will become harder to determine if these videos are released. Generative AI also uses specific search engines, photo and video sites and social media – depending on how it is coded- to get inspiration for their “subjects”, increasing the risk of stolen identity.
The lack of regulation and moderation will incentivise malicious parties to continue doing their activities.
The fear of many about generative AI is warranted as the technology improves and becomes more polished. The lack of guarantees, such as laws, moderation and the like, only fuels the worries of those who remain against AI despite its promise. Unless these fears are assuaged, they will continue to grow, and some may even be reluctant to work with those using AI regardless of its benefits.
However, it is essential to remember that generative AI is similar to computers in its infancy. Many have been scared about its introduction and believe it will end many jobs. But the longer it was used and the more the technology improved, the more it became a staple to all industries, and some of the fears many had about it were either resolved or retracted. There will be growing pains for generative AI, but give it time, and systems and laws will be put in place to counter these issues. So, don’t immediately try to cancel it; do your due diligence by researching more about it.
Here are some of my thoughts on Artificial Intelligence:
How to Design an AI Marketing Strategy
Why AI Can Never Replace Writers
What is An AI Meeting Manager & How to Use Them Effectively
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