Blog 1, Week 2: AI,Computer,Software, Future: Harvin Bhandal

As discussed in class, we are currently in the midst of a technological revolution. Previous industrial revolutions saw the emergence of steam engines, electricity and computers and now, the use of artificial intelligence in everyday life is imminent. Most technology now uses some form of AI and its use in the future is extremely promising, as the software is able to adapt and deeply learn in specific domains. Most of its applications boasts an increase in efficiency and cost. For example, an autonomous car, when working perfectly can improve traffic safety and costs.

One concern about application of AI technology in society is the risk of decreasing jobs, as it is believed that autonomous machines can perform better than humans in virtually every facet.. However, the TIME article by Kai-Fu Lee suggests otherwise. Lee states that at least 4 job types are completely safe from the AI revolution: creative jobs (inventor, scientist), strategic jobs (executives), jobs that will be created by AI, and jobs of compassion (nursery, doctors, etc). While job security in these sectors will be safe, there are still other risks that AI poses such as privacy. As we have already seen with Facebook and other companies, AI can be used and manipulated to leak information about users such as personal details and logistics to unwanted parties [1]. These are real concerns, and I believe that they will keep happening until governments all over the world can agree on best practices to use AI on and enforce them.

In “What Tech WIll Look like in 2039”, most interviewees predict that use of AI and Augmented Reality will exponentially increase in 20 years time. One interesting take by Freeman Dyson expressed his idea of “hacking biology”. Dyson equates everything on Earth, even life itself to code, and something people will be able to change and manipulate using technology. Advancement in gene modification and synthetic biology are all just different forms of programming [3]

Software that utilizes AI technology definitely holds a promising position in the future. I believe that use of this technology should be regulated to ensure that it benefits society and is not used maliciously. Rajen Sheth, director of Google’s machine learning team, agrees with this idea as well, and google recently published “AI Principles” which essentially serve as a “constitution” for implementing AI [3]. The principles themselves state that they will be updated as technology advances and holds its number one value to be socially beneficial. [2]

[1]Lee, Kai-Fu. “Artificial Intelligence Is Powerful. How To Protect Workers.” Time, Time, 11 Jan. 2019, time.com/5501056/artificial-intelligence-protect-workers/.

[2] Pichai, Sundar. “AI at Google: our principles.” 7 Jun. 2018.
https://www.blog.google/technology/ai/ai-principles/


[3] “What Tech Will Look Like in 2019.” PCMag, 3 Jan. 2019. https://www.evernote.com/pub/aengineer/ae-510#st=p&x=software&n=e1854797-c0a4-495f-aa29-0972989fb917

Comments:

To Nick Maloney

Nick, I agree that the construction sector is in no means neglected by the advancements in AI technology and additive manufacturing. On paper, they do seem like a match made in heaven. It is apparent, however that automating many of these processes which previously required skilled individuals would cause a reduction in jobs, which you have addressed. An article from TIME that I read stated that there would be a great number of new jobs that would be generated by the AI revolution so I wonder what types of new jobs would fall in the construction industry. I think it would be hard to determine until the technology has been implemented and is effects have been documented. Overall, I think you brought up really valid points and it is very true that labor unions may dictate the progress that these advancements are made.

To Nana Lin Rasmussen

Nana, I learned a whole lot about the direction the 3d printing industry is going from reading your post. I initially thought the developments for 3d printing other objects other than plastic was quite far away, but it was interesting to learn that concrete and metal 3d printing have been worked on for years already, and are in the process of being implemented. The idea of using 3d printing to build affordable housing is such a great humanitarian deed and it’s always nice to see developers using their technology to benefit society. I also think that the increase in this technology could open up more jobs and influence people to learn 3d modeling programs.

To Alec Silverstone

Alec, this was a great read and you presented very interesting takes. It made me wonder exactly if there were any studies done to show how many people in fact were connected to the internet. According to Wikipedia, approximately 55% of the world’s population is connected to the internet. That is a substantial amount of people and that number is sure to grow. In terms of data collection and privacy infringement, I agree with what you said that it is simply something we have to accept with the coming technology. In fact, certain companies collecting data could make for a more user-friendly experience when using their platforms. For example, how Amazon or YouTube can tailor their home pages based on the things you like. However, this definitely could become an issue if certain private info, such as bank accounts are easily-retrieved.