By Addy Madsen ’29
Artificial intelligence is something humans can’t fully understand or agree on. AI can be a tool that we can use in everyday life, but that’s not the kind of artificial intelligence I want to talk about. I want to talk about the kind that goes beyond the day-to-day basis; I want to talk about the type that can change the world for the better.
10 million people die each year from cancer. 10 million. Cancer has, in some way, affected you or the ones you love. Mankind still does not have a secure cure for it. However, doctors and medical researchers are using artificial intelligence to help end cancer. One article I read talked about how, “All of these computer algorithms use data such as investigations performed, scans conducted, patients’ medical histories, and other information to forecast or diagnose a cancerous condition.” (Press). What could take humans months to years to find out, AI finds in seconds. Not only is AI finding patterns through the data, but it is also offering economic stability and job opportunities.
There has been a lot of fear that “AI is replacing jobs.” But in fact, it’s finding new ones. Farrel remarked that AI is bringing in 17.1 trillion dollars in the next 5 years. This is not because it’s taking jobs; it’s because it’s opening up new job opportunities in many different fields. In an article about AI affecting the workforce, “AI is expected to create 20-50 million new jobs globally by 2030. These new jobs will be in a range of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and finance”. (Farrel). This shows that AI is positively affecting us with new job opportunities and economic stability.
One major downside of AI is its effects on the environment; in fact, it impacts climate change. Climate change has been something we humans have started to care more about in the past decade. With the rise of artificial intelligence, people are noticing what is happening to climate change due to AI. However, many researchers and scientists are trying to mitigate its effects, and machine learning (the bedrock of AI) can do just that. AI could be the solution to global warming; in fact, “An AI system could, for example, play a role in developing and making the most of new green and renewable energy systems, or finding ways to minimize carbon emissions to improve decision-making processes for governments across the globe.” (Press). This suggests that artificial intelligence can have its downsides, but it can find innovative ways to redirect its effects and make it into something that reverses climate change.
In conclusion, Artificial intelligence is still something that mankind grapples with functionally and socially. While there are some downsides, ultimately, AI will innovate the world as we know it for the better. When AI is used as a proper tool, we can solve economic problems, climate change, and medical difficulties that we as humans struggle collectively to solve.