AI: Chaos without control

Alyssa: AI can bring us wonderful things but we have to make sure that we are in control.

WILL artificial intelligence (AI) take over my job? Will it take over the world?

Like most, if not all, upper secondary school students, I’m facing the dilemma of picking a university and a career I want to go into.

When I first began searching for possible careers, I looked up “careers that AI will not take over”.

With AI being such a new phenomenon, it is not surprising that we may feel threatened by its existence. But is AI really a threat?

Known as a computerised system that is programmed to think like humans, AI is able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence.

These tasks include visual perception, speech recognition, problem-solving, decision-making, and translation between languages.

AI can analyse sales calls, input and analyse values much faster than any human could, thus it has already begun to replace the jobs of telemarketers, bookkeeping clerks and receptionists, for instance.

At the speed at which it is currently progressing, it is likely that AI will continue to take over jobs that can be automated.

In order to understand the future of AI, we have to travel back a few centuries when machines were first popularised.

Back then, people feared the large, foreign machines would take away jobs, such as factory work, cloth making and automobile manufacturing.

Now, it’s hard to imagine manufacturing without machinery.

In addition, many factory goods are now cheaper for consumers without having to exploit human labour.

And when computers were first popularised 20 years ago, people too feared that these digital devices would take away jobs.

While they have indeed taken away or reduced some jobs, such as those of cashiers, bank tellers and phone operators, people with these jobs have learned to work alongside computers.

For example, some of these bank tellers now work in cybersecurity to minimise the risk of Internet banking scams.

The jobs that computers have created certainly outweigh the ones they have taken away.

Some social media influencers earn more than the average doctor, which has traditionally been considered the “highest-paying” job.

The Third Industrial Revolution and the development of computers have undeniably opened us to a whole new world of possibilities, and proven that we humans are able to adapt to new technological developments.

Who’s to say that AI won’t do the same for us?

But jobs are only an aspect of life. What about the world? Will AI destroy humanity accidentally, if not intentionally?

The TV show The 100 offers an interesting take on what the world would be like if an AI robot wanted to destroy humanity.

Although created with good intentions, the female robot overpowered its creator. She realised that the world faced the problem of overpopulation and couldn’t cater for everyone in the world, thus deciding to start huge fires in order to reduce the population.

It may just be fiction, but it is a valid concern.

With billions of dollars being channelled into AI research, there should be more regulations regarding the development of new AI to ensure that it is not abused.

In conclusion, there is a real threat that AI could lead the world into chaos. With every new piece of technology comes the threat of malfunction or misuse, and AI is no different.

AI can bring us wonderful things, such as providing solutions to climate change, preventing or even curing illnesses, and improving the efficiency of the economy, but we have to make sure that we are in control.

Alyssa, 17, is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team.

1. Up for a challenge? Get a family member or friend to do this activity with you. How many types of jobs are in your vocabulary? Take a minute to list as many jobs as possible on a piece of paper. When the time is up, go through each other’s answers. Who has a longer list?

2. Flip through The Star newspaper. How many different jobs can you see from the photographs? Cut out five photographs and paste them in your Star-NiE scrapbook according to how likely these jobs will be impacted by the rise of AI. Start with the job that is most likely to be impacted. Remember to label the photographs with the names of the occupations shown. It could be a politician, a footballer or a singer, for example. When you are done, show your work to your activity partner and have a discussion on your future career choices.

Now in its 24th year, The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) programme is continuing its role of promoting the use of English language through a weekly activity page in StarEdu. These activities are suitable for use individually and in groups, at home and in the classroom, across varied proficiency levels. Parents and teachers are encouraged to work on the activities with their children and students. In addition, Star-NiE’s BRATs Young Journalist Programme will continue to be a platform for participants to hone and showcase their English language skills, as well as develop their journalistic interests and instincts. Applications are now open for the BRATs 2022 programme. Follow our updates at facebook.com/niebrats. For Star-NiE enquiries, email [e-mail].