After reading an article about transferable skills, I found another important topic that deserves to be discussed. This specific article talks about how artificial intelligence is growing and the impact it has on the people of the locale.
The google definition for artificial intelligence states: it leverages computers and machines to mimic the problem-solving and decision-making capabilities of the human mind.
My definition: Data replication. Artificial intelligence uses the data stored to create multimedia preferences.
My first encounter with AI was in the movie ‘i Robot’, released in 2004. There were many other movies and shows portraying AI type characters based on science fiction, such as Star Trek, Terminator, and even Star Wars. They would go unnoticed or have ‘robot’ in their title but, who would’ve thought the age of AI would make its way into the rougher communities in 2023?
Now, in places such as Brixton Hill, people are paying for products with the tap of their phone or when visiting a hospital, there are mobile robots patrolling the hallways. Is AI a growing benefit or is there a darker side we may have missed or not researched? Could this cause negative disruption to the people who created the programmes themselves and have an even bigger detriment on the communities they’re released to?
Robots taking over the world and controlling humans is a theme of many fictitious movies that have made their way into the minds of people. But as AI and technology advance, what are the real leading factors that people worry about within this new innovative system?
AI has personally made its way into our daily lives, knowingly or unknowingly, with facial recognition and robots patrolling venues as we speak. What do they have to offer and how useful are they?
As a minimum, to educate the community on AI should be the least they deserve. Educating the people on what is AI, its strengths and weaknesses, benefits and disadvantages should be easily accessible. It’s only going to become more common in the household, and if people do not know how to use the innovative measures creeping into our lives, they will be left behind if the only choice is the presence of AI.
AI discrimination, harmful algorithms and objective truths are some of the problems people have noticed within the AI realm, leading people to question who created AI and who does it work for, and against.
Facial recognition has already had negative outcomes with too many incorrect criminal recognition statuses. Tracking devices are taking away the freedom of the regular civilian. Groups have already deployed with the intent to stop facial recognition. How much of a negative effect must AI be having on the masses for groups to now aim to close down the branches from its tree?
Can AI be trusted? I believe with the correct people in the correct places, AI can be built with a trust-friendly framework. Will the correct people get a foot in the door of AI before it has reached its status quo though? This is a problem we are perceiving.
The community has always been the first used and tested upon when it comes to new technology, having to deal with its flaws without the boundaries. Many Black people are in two minds when it comes to AI depending on their knowledge through study and ascertainment. “I couldn't care less about AI” is the continual argument I kept coming across while researching the subject in the Clapham Park community.
“We can’t even spell AI!” a Jamaican man laughed, while giving his expertise on the subject. “Give me an iPhone and I’ll be fine” another person added to the conversation. On the other hand, a more educated member of the community concluded with a statement that stuck with me. He chuckled while saying: “AI will only be to our detriment, it’s the worst thing ever, it will put a lot of people out of business and many will lose their jobs. Things will get done but, it will be plain Jane, no buss downs.”
I myself believe AI should be taught through the communities as many do not know of its current status in our communities and where it will lead.
AI and Criminality
AI has the ability to create and manipulate any situation. It can be used by the privileged and educated people who have access to it to manipulate and deceive others. A crime scene perhaps can be altered to put people in a place of crime where they never were. Misleading information based on having access to a system someone else may not be able to access or understand.
On another note, I remember as a youth going to a regular meeting spot, the arcades, where the closest technology we had were the 3D games. We sat in the car, it covered your head and you were made to feel as if you were on a real train track racing through galaxies. In this new gaming world, you can stand, and with the correct products, you can enter the same gaming zones with just a headset.
That may look amazing to a young child who loves gaming but, this can also lead to AI creating a lazier society, because now instead of moving, it comes to you; instead of doing, you can just ask and instead of attaining the knowledge to remember a task or skill, you can just ask for it. This can definitely lead to a dumbing down of society and encourage anti-social behaviours at the very least.
As much as there are worries and concerns about AI, and what it will deliver in our future, we must also take into account it is going to be a part of our future. So, the best thing to do would be to encourage the learning of AI as a minimum, try to grasp the full prospects of it and get involved in this growing sector. It seems beyond doubt it will have a huge impact on our near future and the present times.
Computers learn fast. Incorporating AI within your company, if done correctly, will bring great profit and numerous benefits including time saved, reduced errors and precision.
Finally, to educate the community on AI programs, what it is and how it functions should be our concern and deliverance. We need to educate people on its effects and influence on the community. I was going to get AI to write this article but that would’ve been a joke on me, and at the end say: “by the way, this was written by AI, LOL.”. The point would’ve been to show you how deceiving and innovative AI can be when used to your advantage.
AI has room for all of us to learn from and make the best of and there’s no better time to understand this. Can AI benefit or will these things destroy the community? To trust in AI, you must learn it, you must understand its algorithms and programs, then will you feel confident on how to move forward with it.
It’s vital to include the contributions of the young Black/urban intelligentsia to the AI industry at this crucial stage of its development. Communities need to actively engage and stay informed to have a chance of creating equal opportunities. Additionally, the AI industry must address and rectify the targeting of marginalised locales in experimental technology, ensuring fairness and inclusivity in technological advancements.
Let’s learn AI before it learns us.
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Artificial Intelligence and Black Intellect - The Cultural Nuances of "Afropeanism"
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