Word of the day: AI
We don’t even call it “artificial intelligence” anymore. Everyone simply says, “AI.”
You can’t read or listen to any platform today without hearing (or seeing) information about how AI is changing our lives. There are the good things it can do along side the gigantic cost in terms of computing power and energy (associated words: Data Centers).
This post is not going to repeat what is already out there in the digital world. However, here are some observations gleaned over the past several months of reading and watching this space:
(1) Assume AI is everywhere. Images you see, articles you read, even music and videos. I’ve been highly suspicious that several of the pharmaceutical commercials that invade whatever video I’m watching are AI-generated because they are “slightly off.” A lot of of social media videos are obviously (and not-so-obviously) AI-generated.
(2) Your professionals are using AI. A growing number of attorneys are incorporating AI into their workflow system. The smart ones (and the ones who abide by ethics rules) are using a siloed system that keeps client data out of the public stream. Most case management systems have quickly adopted AI tools within their platform to provide this service. AI-assisted research and language generation save a lot of time. However, smart professionals use their highly trained brains to analyze and verify the information provided by AI. (And judges and other attorneys know the difference.)
(3) We all get duped by AI. Whether you know it or not, you have been duped by an AI image, video, or article. AI has a lot of flaws, but if you are not paying close attention, you’ll miss the flaws, inaccuracies, and fakes. There is some astonishing fake content out there. [Side note: Be particularly suspicious of a public figure who is portrayed on a video saying something that is completely out of character – “deep fake” videos to discredit a public figure are a growing evil use of AI tech.)
(4) Support the real. AI has its place, just like all technology has a place in our world. However, don’t discard the importance of the human factor. Learn the difference and the importance of human intervention in curating AI content, as well the importance of only-human content in art, literature, science, and all aspects of our lives.
(5) This is an evolutionary step. We humans are on a continuous journey. It is up to us to determine how we grow and learn from the technology we develop. Thirty years ago, cellphones were not smart, home computers were rare, and the internet was in its dial-up infancy. Where will we be thirty years from now?
PS: Other than spell-check and the AI generated image above, this post was entirely created by a human.
