Is Over-Reliance on AI Technology a Blessing or a Curse? Exploring the Impact of ChatGPT and Limitless
It's been a minute since I've had the inspiration and motivation I need to write something and get it out there (for a later blog! #mentalhealth ). Still, lately, like most of the world, I've been thinking about ChatGPT. I can't help but compare it to the movie #Limitless with #BradleyCooper (shoutout to the Hangover franchise) I remember when this movie came out and how people were jokingly debating whether such a thing is possible, could a pill actually grow your intelligence and output exponentially?
While the movie is fictional, it touches on our primal instincts as humans to want more and depending on your level of greed (or intrigue), you'll go to all lengths to get ahead and do whatever it takes to protect it. This is the reality of business and more recently with the tech layoffs, we're seeing around the world a lot of the time the bottom line, board members and investors are what matters and it dictates what levers are used that sadly in turn control the fate of many families (#staystrong ).
#AI has landed bigtime. Limitless and the AI technology, ChatGPT, both explore the idea of unlocking the full potential of the human brain. Limitless depicts a fictional scenario in which a pill can instantaneously enhance cognitive abilities, while ChatGPT is a real-life technology that utilises machine learning algorithms to generate human-like text. Both have the potential to assist with a wide range of tasks, but over-dependency on these technologies can lead to negative consequences.
One of the major pros of ChatGPT and other AI technologies is their ability to assist with a wide range of tasks, such as writing, research, and data analysis. ChatGPT, for instance, can be used to write emails, articles, or even books, and can also be used to generate reports, summaries, and translations. This can save a lot of time and effort for individuals and organisations, allowing them to focus on more important tasks. Similarly, in the movie Limitless, the protagonist, Eddie Morra, discovers that the pill he takes enables him to access 100% of his brain's capacity, allowing him to learn languages, play the stock market, and write a book in a matter of days. This newfound intelligence and efficiency help him to achieve success in his career and personal life. Conversely, you see Gennady the antagonist in the movie whom you see earlier in the movie as a low-level street thug who morphs into a powerful gangster with new suits and swag credited all to the pill. He would go to all lengths to have more power because for his pursuit is power and money. AI can be used for good and self-improvement/commerce but it will 10000% also be used for bad.
However, as the movie highlights, over-dependency on this pill leads to negative consequences such as withdrawal symptoms, addiction, and even death. Similarly, over-dependency on ChatGPT and other AI technologies can lead to a decrease in cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and problem-solving skills. Studies have shown that people who frequently use smartphones and other digital devices are more likely to have poor working memory. Additionally, over-dependency on technology can lead to a lack of creativity. As AI technologies become more advanced, they are able to perform tasks that were once thought to require human creativity and intuition. However, if we become too reliant on these technologies, we risk losing our own ability to think creatively and come up with new ideas. Furthermore, over-dependency on AI technology can lead to a lack of job opportunities as more tasks are automated, and there may be fewer jobs available for people who lack the skills and knowledge to work with these technologies.
In addition to the aforementioned negative consequences, over-dependency on AI technology can also lead to privacy and security concerns. As we rely more and more on AI technology, we may be more likely to share personal information (have you checked if there is an erase history feature in ChatGPT?) with these systems? This can make us more vulnerable to data breaches and other security threats. For example, a study by the University of California found that AI-powered virtual assistants such as Amazon's Alexa and Google Home are vulnerable to hackers, who can gain access to personal information and control the devices to carry out malicious activities. Privacy will be an issue and AI will be invasive because that's how it feeds and grows. But there are further ramifications with the advancement of AI.
A study by the Pew Research Center found that 72% of adults in the United States believe that AI will lead to widespread job loss in the next 50 years. This is because AI systems can automate tasks that were previously done by humans, making those jobs redundant. This can lead to a lack of job opportunities and an increase in unemployment. Another study by the McKinsey Global Institute found that up to 800 million jobs could be displaced by automation by 2030. However, the study also found that 375 million workers may need to switch occupational categories and learn new skills to stay employed. This highlights the importance of investing in retraining programs for workers whose jobs are at risk of being automated.
Another concern related to over-dependency on AI technology is ethics and bias. AI systems are only as unbiased as the data they are trained on. If the data used to train an AI system is biased, the system will also be biased. This can lead to unfair decisions and discrimination against certain groups of people. For example, a study by the National Institutes of Health found that a commercially available AI system used to predict the risk of heart disease was more accurate for white patients than for black patients, due to the fact that the data used to train the system was predominantly from white patients.
However, with that said, ChatGPT and other AI systems have been observed to be more efficient and accurate than humans in certain tasks. For example, a study by Deloitte found that AI-powered chatbots are able to respond to customer queries 24/7 and can handle up to 80% of routine queries, which can improve customer satisfaction and reduce the workload for human customer service representatives. Additionally, a study by the American Medical Association found that AI systems are able to detect diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness, with a similar level of accuracy to human experts.
However, over-dependency on AI technology can also lead to a lack of accountability. As more tasks are automated, it can be difficult to determine who is responsible when something goes wrong. This can make it more difficult to hold people accountable for their actions and can lead to a lack of transparency and accountability. In addition, as AI technology becomes more advanced and capable of making complex decisions, the question of who is responsible for the consequences of these decisions becomes increasingly important. This is particularly relevant in areas such as self-driving cars and autonomous weapons, where AI systems are making life-and-death decisions.
With #Microsoft doubling down their investment in OpenAI, we actually might be too late to stop the inevitable impact on our lives because the advancement of AI is well supported financially (+$10bn!!).
Microsoft has been eyeing up the search market for many years and it has been a tough slog for the business to drive users to #Bing. Having worked at Microsoft I remember the challenges vividly. #Google has been dominant for so long and Microsoft (IMO) will go for Google's jugular and leverage ChatGPT with Bing to deliver an experience to steal a share of the lucrative search advertising business wallet. We could witness the tectonic plates of these technology behemoths shift. If it makes $ sense to organisations then nothing else really matters, unfortunately.
"Google Calls In Help From Larry Page and Sergey Brin for A.I. Fight" - The New York Times
If it's inevitable how can you control the lure and addiction of the 'Pill'?
Use AI technology as a tool to assist with tasks, rather than as a replacement for human thought and creativity.
Set limits on the amount of time you spend using AI technology and make sure to take regular breaks.
Continuously invest in building your own cognitive abilities and skills, such as memory, attention, and problem-solving, through activities such as meditation, reading, and puzzles. Chess is excellent for this!
Stay informed about the latest AI technologies and their capabilities and limitations, so you can make informed decisions about how to use them.
Encourage a culture of balance, education and creativity in the workplace.
Don't give away 100% of your privacy that easily to these systems, the more they know the more they'll influence and control you
While ChatGPT and other AI technologies have the potential to assist with a wide range of tasks, it is important to use them in a responsible and ethical manner. Over-dependency on these technologies can lead to negative consequences such as a decrease in cognitive abilities, privacy and security concerns, ethical and bias issues, and a lack of accountability. We should aim to strike a balance between utilizing AI technology to enhance our capabilities and maintaining our own skills, knowledge, and abilities. Just like Eddie Morra did in the movie he eventually learned to find balance and moderation in his pursuit of greatness and controlled his intake better. We should probably take a step back and #regenerate our #response to these incredibly powerful platforms.
Peace!
