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I don't understand the point of AI

Cloud44

I genuinely don't get it. Not being awkward (although there might be a bit of a fear of change influencing my thinking) but when I ask people 'what is the point of AI?' they seem to think it's a rhetorical question. But it's not, it's a real question that I don't know the answer to. As far as I can see, it's a computer thinking for us which will eventually result in a loss of skills and an inability to learn new things. For example, when I write, I want to learn how to improve the grammar, sentence structure etc, not have software do it all for me. Same with everything in life. I don't mind getting things wrong if feedback allows me the opportunity to improve.

Can anyone see the advantages? Rather than be dismissive of AI and shut it down, I'd like to learn from others and find out what they get out of it and maybe find something I am missing, or how it could benefit me.

Thanks

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  • It seems to be good for looking at things like mammograms, scans and xrays to aid diagnosis, it's been tested and seems to be slightly better than humans at diagnosing cancers at early stages.

    But on the whole no I don't like it, it's not actually intelligent either, it does the task it's asked to do very fast, using a range of sources to gain information, but it cannot actually think. I don't like having an Ai description of a search I've made, it appears at the top of the screen above the sponsered links, so it takes even longer before can even try and find the information I asked for. I think as it becomes more and more widespread,  all most of us will experience is a whole other realm of "computer says no", I think it will become ever more embedded in our lives and our smart phones, which will be needed to do more and more ordinary things, taking away agency and power over our lives.

    AI gives bad actors a big advantage in censoring what we can see, find out and learn, of course, there's not just concious censorship, but unconcious bias and forgetting about information points, and how others use things and the physical differences. Like here, when our phones can only pick up a signal from ireland, or that we have 3,000ft of slate sticking up out the ground that interupts signals. If AI translates a book for us, how will it cope with the nuances of language, translation isn't just a word for word copy, it has to make sense and it has to convey the sense the author does in the original.

    It all seems geared to taking choices away from us "to make our lives easier", but easier how? Will it give us more time to veg out in front of the telly, to buy more rubbish or be influenced by people or AI avatars? I don't really have a problem with making choices, although some people think I do because I say no too much for thier liking, but I'm a fairly simple soul who dosen't need clutter and cargo, nor do I see the need to make simple binary choices as some sort of game.

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    TheCatWoman - Based on this and the other conversation about modern tech, I feel like we are on exactly the same page with our thinking. It's a relief to know there's someone else out there thinking the same way. As I keep saying, I just want a simple life, I feel everything has got way too complicated and out of control.

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  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    TheCatWoman - Based on this and the other conversation about modern tech, I feel like we are on exactly the same page with our thinking. It's a relief to know there's someone else out there thinking the same way. As I keep saying, I just want a simple life, I feel everything has got way too complicated and out of control.

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