Living In the Age of AI

         Artificial Intelligence is a concept that has long existed in our culture. It started merely as the product of the imaginations of science fiction writers. The Tin Man was revolutionary in expressing the concept of a man without a heart. It couldn't ever be possible right? How could something be living, be intelligent, without a beating heart? We already had the earliest forms of AI programs midway through the 20th century, but now artificial intelligence is reaching colossal new heights. There are certainly a lot of positive aspects to more advanced AI, but there are clearly just as many problems, if not more. It seems like increasing efficiency is most likely the main goal of AI technology. This is obviously a positive thing on its own since it can mean faster production and better use of resources. The problem is that AI is now being introduced into many workplaces, causing people to lose their jobs. But why would a company pay someone to do something when they can have a robot do it for them better? Stronger collection and analysis of data is another positive of artificial intelligence. These new AI programs are retrieving information through a handful of methods and then using the data to make predictions and calculations. When it comes to privacy, artificial intelligence programs are being used in the United States and China for facial recognition. People don't even realize it but their faces are possibly being recognized by these AI when they are out just out in public. China is much more severe than the United States, with a goal of making the entire country a surveillance state. However, the US is not too far off. The documentary gets into the idea of using AI to prevent crime. The Chinese government is setting up AI to target Muslims and catch potential terrorists. Obviously, I am supportive of something that can stop terrorists but it is much easier said than done. The privacy of innocent Muslims is being invaded and "potential" terrorists who haven't done anything are being prosecuted. There are definitely quite a few major instances of AI when it comes national security. Artificial intelligence is specifically being developed to protect our nations from potential terrorism and threats from other countries. This is obviously a good thing on paper but as I said before it causes problems with privacy. This can include AI data analysis programs that are using information on people to catch them before they cause any danger. It can also include actual AI defensive systems that are used to aid in battle and defend the nation. These are obviously ways that it benefits national security but there are ways it puts national security at risk too. Many of these AI's are collecting information about people without their knowledge, and then that data is being sold to different companies, and then even to different countries. It is obviously not beneficial for national security if data about our citizens is being given to another nation. Online security is a major concept within artificial intelligence. AI is being used to find malicious software and files as well as dangerous IP addresses. These AI can protect from cyberattacks by filtering through non-harmful data quicker than ever before, allowing them to weed out the dangers to our security online. So, even though AI is protecting us from identity theft it is also invading our privacy over the internet. When watching "In the Age of AI" I was intrigued yet concerned about the idea that AI have been collecting data through our search results and social media for years. They say how we think we've been using social media or we've been searching Google but in reality we are the ones being searched and used. Our government is taking all this seemingly insignificant information and gathering it in order to have full control and knowledge over basically everyone. If they know how everyone is going to behave, or where they are going to be, they can manipulate events and pretty much do anything they'd like.

Office, U.S. Government Accountability. “How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming National Security.” U.S. GAO, 2 June 2022, https://www.gao.gov/blog/how-artificial-intelligence-transforming-national-security. 

“Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Cybersecurity.” IBM, https://www.ibm.com/security/artificial-intelligence.