Talking about the AI-volution: Is the future bright?

In November 2023, as the world recovered from Covid, the music world witnessed something joyous, hopeful and remarkable - a new song by an iconic and beloved group that disbanded more than 50 years ago with two of its members now long gone. The end result caused fans to have meltdowns across the internet, had cynics scoffing that it wasn’t real, and critics alternately calling it spectral, celestial and even Biblical. But the fact remains that “Now and Then”, that went on to win a Grammy, and is now officially The Beatles’ swan song, would not have been possible without the wonder of AI.

And this is just a tiny example of what AI can do in the field of music.

AI has blended in so seamlessly into our everyday lives that we probably don’t even realize that our lives might just come to a standstill without it. Be it the face recognition unlock tool on your phone, your Alexa that’s programmed to play your favorite tune to energize you as you wake up everyday, the smart home device that you can instruct to lock your front door as you rush to work, change the temperature of your fridge, adjust your thermostat, or even vacuum your floors before you get home, the navigation system in your car that makes sure you get to work on time by picking the route with the least amount of traffic or the Grammarly tool that you use to compose the perfect work email to your team, AI surrounds us.

It would be meaningless to talk about AI having an impact sometime in the distant future, when AI is a reality here and now. In this supersonic-paced world that changes at a dizzying speed, where keeping up becomes vital to survival, it’s impossible to imagine a world without the convenience and speed that AI offers.

So what is AI?

Simply put, AI refers to machines and computers performing human tasks with human cognizance and intelligence while far exceeding human capabilities while performing these tasks.

The core principle of AI revolves around data. AI systems learn and improve through exposure to vast amounts of data, identifying patterns and relationships. This learning process often involves algorithms, which are sets of rules or instructions that guide the AI's analysis and decision-making.

The evolution of AI over the years can be compared to a series of nested or derivative concepts.

Artificial Intelligence began in the 1950s with the simple concept of machines exhibiting human intelligence. This evolved into Machine Learning in the 1980s which involved systems that learn from historical data. The 2010s took this a step further with Deep Learning, or machine models that mimic human brain function. The present day concept is focused on Generative AI that uses Deep Learning models to create original content.

Generative AI is a type of AI that can generate new content such as text, images, music, audio, and videos, based on learned patterns from existing data. LLM (Large Language Model), GPT (Generative Pre-training Transformer), Image generation models like DALL-E, or audio generation models like Speechify and Elevenlabs, or Meta AI assistants attached to Apps like facebook messenger and Whatsapp are all examples of generative AI.

Write-up: LizzieBennet

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AI has widespread application and with several AI tools being used across various industries today.

Healthcare

This could possibly be one the most critical and exciting applications of AI. AI has the potential to transform healthcare by improving diagnosis, personalizing treatment plans, and optimizing patient care. AI algorithms can analyze medical images, predict disease outbreaks, and assist in drug discovery, enhancing the overall quality of healthcare services. In medical research, AI is an important tool for processing and analyzing big data.

Example: Google Gemini 2.0 recently diagnosed pancreatitis using CT scans. AlphaFold2 demonstrated the 3D structure of a protein in a few hours rather than traditional methods that take months.

Education

AI in education is transforming how students learn and how educators teach. The learning platforms are highly adaptable, using AI to customize educational content based on each student’s strengths and weaknesses, ensuring a personalized learning experience. AI can also automate administrative tasks, allowing educators to focus more on teaching and less on paperwork.

Example: Platforms like Simplilearn use AI algorithms to offer course recommendations and provide personalized feedback to students, enhancing their learning experience and outcomes. Large language models, such as GPT-4, Gemini, Claude, LLaMa or Mistral, are increasingly used in education and learning, especially solving complex Math problems.

Lifestyle

AI-powered virtual assistants like Siri, Cortana and Alexa use natural language processing (NLP) to understand and respond to voice commands, perform tasks, and provide information leading to their popularity and widespread use at home, work and school. NLP enables machines to understand, interpret, and generate human language, facilitating applications like translation, sentiment analysis, and voice-activated assistants.

Example: Smart thermostats like Nest use AI to learn homeowners' temperature preferences and schedule patterns and automatically adjust settings for optimal comfort and energy savings. Grammarly uses NLP to analyze text for grammatical errors, style improvements, and clarity suggestions, helping users enhance their writing quality.

E-commerce

E-commerce platforms and streaming services use AI to analyze user data and provide personalized recommendations for products, movies, or music. AI can personalize shopping experiences, recommend products, and optimize pricing. It can also target advertisements to specific audiences and optimize ad campaigns. AI is used to analyze customer behavior and preferences to suggest products, leading to increased sales and customer satisfaction. Additionally, AI-driven chatbots provide instant customer support, resolving queries and guiding shoppers through their purchasing journey.

Example: Amazon uses AI to recommend products to its users based on their browsing history, past purchases, and preferences. Similarly, platforms like YouTube and Netflix use AI algorithms to recommend movies and videos to customers.

Business and Finance

AI is used to detect fraud, manage risk, and make investment decisions, to improve business processes, automate tasks, and make better decisions.

AI algorithms can identify suspicious patterns and transactions in financial data, helping to prevent fraud and financial crimes. It can also detect and prevent cyberattacks and protect networks and data.

Example: Robo-advisors like Betterment use AI to provide personalized investment advice and portfolio management, making financial planning accessible to a wider audience.

Navigation and automobiles

AI significantly improves navigation systems, making travel safer and more efficient. Advanced algorithms process real-time traffic data, weather conditions, and historical patterns to provide accurate and timely route suggestions. AI also powers autonomous vehicles, which use sensors and machine learning to navigate roads and avoid obstacles. AI is used in the development of self-driving cars and other autonomous systems, enabling them to navigate and make decisions without human intervention.

Example: Google Maps utilizes AI to analyze traffic conditions and provide the fastest routes, helping drivers save time, reduce fuel consumption, and even save money by offering toll-free route alternatives. Tesla's Autopilot uses AI to enable semi-autonomous driving, assisting with tasks such as lane-keeping, adaptive cruise control, and parking.

Social Media

Social media sites use AI to personalize user experiences, detect harmful content, and manage large volumes of data. AI algorithms power search engines, helping users find relevant information quickly and efficiently.

Example: Facebook, X and other such platforms use AI to curate personalized news feeds, showing users content that aligns with their interests and engagement patterns.

Production and Manufacturing

In agriculture, AI is used to optimize crop yields, improve resource management, and develop new agricultural technologies. AI-powered drones and sensors can monitor crop health, soil conditions, and weather patterns, providing valuable insights to farmers. In manufacturing, AI is used to automate production processes, improve quality control, and optimize supply chains.

Example: Precision agriculture platforms such as OneSoil use AI to analyze data from sensors and drones, helping farmers make informed irrigation, fertilization, and pest control decisions. Microsoft Power Automate offers workflow automation, robotic process automation, and AI capabilities that can help streamline tasks and improve efficiency.

Entertainment

On entertainment platforms, AI offers personalized content recommendations, creating realistic visual effects, and enhancing audience engagement. AI can analyze viewer preferences, generate content, and create interactive experiences.

Example: Spotify uses AI to recommend music based on user listening history, creating personalized playlists that keep users engaged and allow them to discover new artists.

Data security and cybercrime

AI enhances data security by detecting and responding to cyber threats in real-time. AI systems can monitor network traffic, identify suspicious activities, and automatically mitigate risks.

Example: Darktrace uses machine learning to detect and respond to potential cyber threats, protecting organizations from data breaches and attacks.

Travel and transportation

AI optimizes travel and transport by improving route planning, managing traffic flow, and enhancing passenger experiences. AI-powered systems can analyze data to predict delays, optimize schedules, and provide real-time updates to travelers.

Example: Airlines use AI tools such as Amelia and Connection Saver to predict flight delays based on various factors such as weather conditions and air traffic, allowing them to manage schedules and inform passengers proactively.

It’s said with every good comes a bad, every rose has its thorn or even that every silver lining has an (AI) cloud; pun not intended.

Let’s take a look at the Pros and Cons of AI.

It decreases human error, as well as risk to humans. Using AI to complete particularly difficult or dangerous tasks can help prevent the risk of injury or harm to humans such as using robots in areas with high radiation, or using them in risky search and rescue missions.

AI programs are available 24X7 and work tirelessly, and the length of tasks AI can do is doubling every 7 months, which helps enhance productivity, reduce costs and provide a better customer experience than humans could provide alone. It also analyzes work processes and identifies inefficiencies, suggesting improvements for better human workflows that again helps organizations improve employee productivity, and reduce operational costs.

AI provides enhanced and unbiased decision making that in turn provides more equity in things like selecting job applications, approving loans, or credit applications.

AI drives numerous innovations in virtually every field that help humans tackle the most challenging issues. For example, recent advancements in AI-based technologies have enabled doctors to detect breast cancer in women at earlier stages. Vehicles with AI algorithms to navigate roads and traffic autonomously have the potential to enhance road safety, reduce traffic congestion, and increase accessibility for individuals with disabilities or limited mobility.

Artificial intelligence may efficiently automate menial and repetitive tasks for people, allowing them to focus on being more creative.

AI powered surveillance systems increase safety by monitoring and analyzing vast amounts of data from various sources, such as video feeds, sensors, and network traffic. AI systems can detect unusual activities, recognize faces, and identify potential security threats in real time, enabling quick responses to prevent incidents.

AI algorithms analyze user behavior, preferences, and interactions to deliver highly personalized experiences and tailor content recommendations, targeted ads, and customized user interfaces, ensuring a more engaging and satisfying user experience.

AI technologies can process and analyze large amounts of data much faster than traditional methods. It can also detect patterns in large datasets and can be used to solve complex problems across various domains that in turn can help businesses and researchers develop prompt and innovative solutions.

The number one con of AI, as it exists today, is that it cannot be conscious. While AI can mimic human intelligence in certain areas, it lacks the fundamental biological, sentient and experiential aspects that are necessary for consciousness, and therefore lacks the intrinsic creativity and emotional intelligence of humans. The research into AGI and ASI can however circumvent this, which poses yet another existential problem.

AI systems often require vast amounts of data to function effectively, which can lead to significant privacy concerns. Personal data collection, storage, and analysis can be intrusive, exposing sensitive information without individuals' consent. This also poses security risk because of data leaks and hacking.

Jobs in manufacturing, retail, customer service, and even specific professional sectors like legal research or medical diagnostics are increasingly being automated, leading to significant job displacement. AI can generate jobs, but this often requires the workforce to upgrade their skills. The net effect is increased unemployment rates and social inequality.

Over-dependence on AI can reduce human skills and capabilities as individuals and organizations rely more on automated systems for decision-making and problem-solving that can lead to human laziness. Individuals might become less inclined to develop their skills and knowledge, relying excessively on technology.

There is a risk that AI algorithms are being developed and deployed faster than regulatory frameworks and ethical guidelines can keep up. Additionally, many AI algorithms are company owned which can limit transparency. For eg. Algorithms used in hiring which raises concerns about bias and discrimination.

AI models require substantial computational power, which demands considerable energy consumption. This can contribute to increased carbon emissions and exacerbate climate change.

The disadvantages are just the tip of the iceberg. Usage of AI has posed several moral dilemmas and ethical concerns.

There was recent controversy when Adrien Brody won the Best Actor Oscar for ‘The Brutalist’ and it was revealed that AI was used to perfect his Hungarian accent. Was this fair in a creative field where an award is given on the basis of an actor’s ability and competence?

An India based digital artist has created a YouTube series on the Mahabharata using AI where established actors’ likenesses have been used to recreate the characters. Can such an unauthorized recreation be considered a breach of intellectual property given that any views or monetization to the creator could be based on attention and interest evoked by the actors in question? Or is this simply illustrated fanfiction?

This also emphasizes how AI can be used to create realistic but fake videos and audio, or deep fakes, which can be used for malicious purposes, such as spreading misinformation or damaging reputations.

Educators have argued against the rampant use of AI by students for assignments claiming the death of originality and academic honesty while others counter-argue that it is just like ‘using a calculator’ and AI is just a tool, like calculators are, that when employed in the most effective manner will generate a higher grade worthy assignment. Who is right?

The very basis of AI is that it uses other people’s work to generate content or learn. The Grammarly tool uses online publications, student essays and notes to perfect its capability, creating a strange paradox wherein the original content can be deemed plagiarized because Grammarly highlights it as such.

Not long ago, Amazon’s recruitment tool was found to be biased and sexist and had to be withdrawn but this brings up the question of how many organizations have such tools wherein the algorithms can be built to be inherently biased against a particular vulnerable group, and there is no way to find out since such information is not transparent, and never makes it to the public domain. Should AI be used as a recruitment tool?

Surveillance cameras in public places that record videos without explicit consent leading to a breach of privacy on the pretext of safety also raise the question of privacy and autonomy. Is it ethical to record someone and store and release that data without consent?

The use of AI and automation in weapons and artillery diminishes moral agency & ethical capacity leading to objectification of human targets and greater indifference for collateral damage in the people that operate them. Is it right that machines be allowed to make life-and-death decisions?

These are just some of the ethical concerns or dilemmas that plague the increasing use of AI, feel free to pitch in with your own and spark a debate.

Whether we like it or not, AI is here to stay. Future outcomes range from positive impacts, to ethical dilemmas, and with the more human-like AGI looming in the horizon, even human extinction.

We will see more AI taking over key industries such as healthcare, customer service, finance, transportation, media, education, and manufacturing.

In the U.S. ‘Hold For Me’ is an AI technology that allows Google Assistant to wait on hold for you during a phone call and alert you when a human representative is on the line, saving you time and frustration.

Amazon has integrated a tool called ‘Visual search option’ where all you have to do is click a picture of an item or merchandise that you like and AI will show you something similar online.

In sports, an AI-powered tool ‘Connexion kiosk’ is already being used by the NBA to evaluate the physical health of players.

Although use of Generative AI can claim to improve productivity on paper, very few companies have actually reported such gains making its use questionable. More research is needed to prove that AI actually helps companies achieve productivity gains, and unfortunately, if research does end up proving this, it will result in layoffs which brings in a whole other problem.

Technology experts are very excited about Agentic AI taking over Generative AI in the immediate future helping perform small structured, internal tasks autonomously that involve little risk such as changing your password, or reserving vacation time on HR logs. This is expected to grow with Generative AI bots taking over more complex functions like making travel reservations or conducting a banking transaction. However, any function that involves a lot of money will continue to need human intervention, since companies cannot and will not risk using AI tools on customers because the impact of things going wrong can have huge ramifications.

Even further into the future we are looking at Artificial general intelligence (AGI) which attempts to create software with human-like intelligence and the ability to self-teach and Artificial Superintelligence (ASI), which refers to AGI that greatly exceeds human cognitive capabilities. Right now, AGI is a theoretical goal to develop AI systems that possess autonomous self-control, a reasonable degree of self-understanding, and the ability to learn new skills. Whether it will be achieved sooner rather than later is anybody’s guess, but this hot topic in technological innovation has experts pondering the risk this poses to human existence.

Another rising field is Quantum AI which introduces the possibility of performing computational tasks up to 100 million times faster than “classical” computing.

After this? Who knows? Consciousness perhaps with machines that are so sophisticated that they possess self-awareness and experience reality in the same way as humans.

Many experts posit that AI will drive us towards an automaton-driven culture and society will regress towards human redundancy & eventually extinction. Although this does sound dystopian, and more like fear-mongering and catastrophization by skeptics, it’s not a tall order to imagine such drastic changes in the distant future especially when we’ve seen how quickly AI has made major inroads in daily life within a mere decade.

However on the flip-side, this article from Forbes prophesizes that 50 years from now, thanks to AI, poverty or lack of access to food, shelter, and healthcare will be unheard of.

A Dystopian or Utopian future - which is more probable?

What are your thoughts about AI taking over our future?

What aspects of AI fascinate you the most? What trends in AI worry you the most about the future?

Do you think we need stricter laws to control usage of AI in critical and creative arenas such as healthcare, warfare and law?

Do you think that AI has led to serious privacy issues, and agree that there must be laws around this that consider human autonomy?

Share your thoughts with us or feel free to raise questions on any AI related issues that you are interested in.

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A rather important topic as AI continues to become a bigger and bigger part of our lives.

Extremely useful topic chosen by CC Team

AI has seeped so fast into our lives.. we need to utilise our time more effectively and use AI to speed up.. else we’ll become more reliant on AI to do almost everything and we become extremely lazy to move about..

The AI-volution is very real and already impacting our daily lives—sometimes in ways we don’t even consciously realize.

From smart assistants like Alexa and Siri to recommendation systems on Netflix, YouTube, and shopping platforms, AI is helping us make quicker decisions, consume personalized content, and even optimize our daily routines. In fact, I use AI tools regularly to assist with writing, brainstorming ideas, creating visuals, analyzing data, and even managing editorial performance. It’s not just about automation anymore—AI is becoming a real partner in our work and creativity.

That said, I think we should approach this boom with cautious optimism.

While AI is making life easier, it’s also making us think less. Constant reliance on AI for even basic tasks can slowly erode our critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. If we start outsourcing every decision—what to watch, what to say, even what to believe—we risk becoming passive consumers instead of active thinkers.

The dangers of AI can’t be ignored. Deepfakes, misinformation, loss of jobs due to automation, invasion of privacy, and biased algorithms are very real issues. And with the rise of generative AI, the lines between real and fake are blurring fast. It’s not just about what AI can do, but how responsibly we, as humans, choose to use it.

So yes, the future with AI can be bright—but only if we stay aware, use it responsibly, and don’t forget how to think for ourselves.

We must approach AI with caution. At the moment it has more cons than pros. I heard primary and high-school kids are using chatGPT to complete their homework. They are supposed to learn and apply the knowledge at this stage of their life. If they skip the learning part, what are they going to do in the future?

As my father used to say, AI should be in our control, We should not let AI control us.

Cheers..

We are looking at jobless future, things are going to change drastically

AI is highly worked on the data that is fed to it. Some applications of AI are better than other but it can collapse the entire system in one go if the hardware fails.

Too much reliability on AI is dangerous.