WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2022, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

If there is a big “elephant in the technology room”, it is AI - or artificial intelligence.

What is artificial intelligence? Artificial intelligence (AI) is the ability of a computer or a robot controlled by a computer to do tasks that are usually done by humans because they require human intelligence and discernment.

Let’s do an example.

In 1974, we bought a house.  This was our first house and we needed to borrow money for the house.  We filled out the paperwork.  We had some financial records.  I had a job (teaching high school mathematics), and I had paid off revolving bills and statements while renting (paying monthly rent, monthly electricity, monthly water, and monthly telephone.  

The paperwork went first to a loan officer who did the first pass on the loan application.  I assume this loan officer looked at my past history (as much as was available without internet resources).  Was I a good risk, a bad risk, or someplace in between?  That person passed their analysis on to a loan review board who (in our case) approved the loan.  (By the way, the loan was for $10,000 for an existing house!!  Not many properties today sell for $10,000!!!)

Let’s look at 2021, I needed a new vehicle.  I picked out a car from a dealer and went to my bank for a loan.  I had banked with this particular bank for eight years, plus had credit cards (in my old name), and within minutes I was approved for the loan (which I paid off within a year).

You can get loan approval in seconds - because artificial intelligence does the “grunt work” - of checking credit bureau records, and other sources.  BOOM - I qualified and got the loan!!!

My online financial record can be perused in seconds.  (The joy of almost universal internet).

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Reader’s Digest had this to say about Artificial Intelligence in the future:

AI has already changed almost every industry, but the future of AI promises to revolutionize even more businesses.

• Health care: With artificial intelligence, doctors will be able to better diagnose illnesses, making lifesaving early treatment more likely. They might use AI to create new ways to treat illnesses like dementia and cancer, and they could use it to predict future illnesses, combining a patient’s health history and genetic data to create a preventative care plan.

• Service industry: In the future, robots and machines run by AI could replace customer service representatives, cashiers, and even cooks. Robots are already manning fry baskets and the like at fast-food restaurants.

• Law enforcement: Some day soon, AI facial recognition in security cameras could help police officers catch potential criminals. Intelligent bots could even replace police officers. AI-run robots are already used as security officers in some businesses.

• Online security: AI is already in development to more intelligently detect online fraud and protect consumers. The AI will be able to detect changes in spending and credit activity better than the (often wrong) activity alerts that we currently get.

• Transportation: Say goodbye to taxi and Lyft drivers. In the future, cars will be able to drive themselves (some already do). We may also see automated trains and airplanes.

• Marketing: AI already targets you with customized ads on social media sites, but soon it may even be able to create the ads you see or articles you read. There are already article and ad-writing bots that developers claim are almost as good as a human creator.

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Okay, the challenge is “will artificial intelligence do away with my job?”  

And, the answer is “maybe” (tending to probably)!!

Some of those jobs are low-level (but we do need jobs for people with lesser skills and knowledge).  My local Walmart has recently made most checkout lanes self-serve.  (Admit it, standing on your feet all day and passing items over a scanner isn’t a really exciting job).  My Mcdonald's has ordering kiosks - that probably get my order better than humans.  When I ask for extra onions, the kiosks get it, but some humans do not.  

How about health care based on the human genome? Do I have genes that are different from than genes of others from different cultures and histories?  So, why prescribe medicine A as a generic blood pressure medicine for a lot of people when medicine KAW is uniquely adapted to me? 

How about robotic surgeons?  (The last thing a patient wants to hear is “oops”!!).  Humans make mistakes - and cost money, but robots can work basically 24/7 and not get tired or take lunch breaks!!!

Labor costs are generally the most significant in most businesses.  As a professor, I was paid well - could an artificial intelligent professor teach?  Sure - (and I hate to say this) and a robot professor might do a better job as it recognizes and understands the dynamics of a room better.  

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Cars changed the world, radio and television changed the world, the internet changed the world, and now intelligent devices will continue to change the world.  

“Change is inevitable” is a catchphrase - but change will happen (and already is happening)!!!  When the whole world rode horses, there were certain needs - horseshoes, hay, wagons, roads, but when cars took over - the blacksmiths (generally) lost their jobs.  

So, be ready.

And, always work on LOVE - because LOVE WINS!!!

Karen White, October 19, 2022, ©