Although this article speaks mainly of AI, it is not about
what this stunning technology can or cannot do, how amazing it may be, if it is
good or bad, or whether governments should regulate it. These aspects have been
largely covered in the media, including in this very space, and continue to be
a part of an ongoing discourse that has just started. As we all know by now —
even if only because of the ubiquitous ChatGPT — AI is the hottest and most
debated trendy topic in information technology.
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Our conversation today is more about our attitude towards
significant high-tech innovations that change our way of life for good. It
usually starts with a variable mix of both amazement and fear.
Many thought that digital sound was but a fad and would disappear quickly. Four decades later … digital sound is the norm, and by far. The page of analog sound has been turned for good.
I still remember, back in the mid-1980s, when the music
industry shifted from analog recordings to digital when audio CDs took the
world by storm. Whereas most were delighted to enjoy music that at last was
clean, free of distortion, glitches, background hiss, noise, crackles, wow and
flutter, and the like; superb music that would stand the test of time in terms
of shelf life, some purists were complaining of the unnatural texture of the
sound, saying it was cold, not warm.
Many thought that digital sound was but a fad and would
disappear quickly. Four decades later, and though analog vinyl records are
still sometimes made available by the industry with a rather surprising but
very limited comeback among the rare and the sophisticated, digital sound is
the norm, and by far. The page of analog sound has been turned for good.
Examples abound. The cloud is another one of them.
When a few years ago, the GAFAM group (Google, Apple,
Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft) pushed users toward the cloud, whether for social
media interaction, storing personal or business data and files of all kinds,
running software applications, or a combination of all, the same old story
repeated itself. Many thought it was impossible to trust the cloud with
personal information, that it was hazardous, unsafe, and went against data
confidentiality and privacy. Today virtually everything we do is cloud-based.
So, is AI going to stay? There is no question about it. After all, from a purely technical viewpoint, it is a normal evolution of computer programming.
So, is AI going to stay? There is no question about it.
After all, from a purely technical viewpoint, it is a normal evolution of
computer programming. And precisely, the ability of AI to do much more than the
old traditional programming that was mere “power calculation and
straightforward data retrieval” in a certain way, its ability to be creative,
to predict, design, advise, counsel, and foresee, is only possible because of
the huge amount of data available nowadays thanks to the cloud and the massive,
global networking. AI is advanced computer programming that taps these gigantic
resources. It is an achievement that would have been unthinkable a mere
generation ago.
Those afraid of the possible consequences of excessive
reliance on AI should look at the history of technology over the last 60 years.
There is simply no point in trying to swim against the tide.
AI haters fear that it will make us less human and more like programmed creatures. But are we not already programmed creatures?
AI haters fear that it will make us less human and more like
programmed creatures. But are we not already programmed creatures? In addition
to our genes to our DNA, the education we get in the early years of life, at
home and school, is nothing but a form of programming for the future. What we
live and learn as children or students makes us what we are for the rest of our
life. When psychologists and psychiatrists analyze their patients, do they not
first dig into their childhood to see how they were “programmed”?
If AI will make us more programmed creatures, then let it
be. However, fine-tuning, adjustment, and guidance are possible and would be
desirable. It would be good, for example, if those in charge could steer AI in
a reasonable, constructive, and positive direction. As for defining what is
reasonable, constructive, and positive when it comes to AI, can anyone really
do it at this point in time?
Jean-Claude Elias is a computer engineer and a classically trained pianist and guitarist. He has been regularly writing IT articles, reviewing music albums, and covering concerts for more than 30 years.
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