POV: It’s 2024 and life is seemingly becoming easier than ever (well, kind of).
Struggling to write up a research paper? There’s ChatGPT for that. Wanna hear your favourite chilled playlist, after a hectic day without lifting a finger – Alexa has your back. Curious to know what the weather will be like in Cancun for your upcoming holiday – Siri can tell you.
We even have the option to shop without having to scan, queue or pay at a cashier, with the introduction of Amazon Fresh stores.
I could fill this entire article with examples of how AI has made everyday tasks 10x easier than they may have already been. For this reason, many discussions have focused on whether AI will make us lazier or if it will unlock our creative potential.
Follow me as we dive into some of the research and interesting stories on this topic!
What is AI?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science first introduced in the 1950s, which focuses on the development of smart machines that can mimic and complete tasks which traditionally required human intelligence.
Recent developments in AI have seen the birth of several branches of the technology. For example, Generative AI, which focuses on producing high quality content, like images, detailed text, or composed music in seconds. The introduction of Machine Learning enables computers to learn and improve using data available without explicit programming. This allows platforms like Netflix and TikTok to cater the content shown to you based on your activity.
Is AI Making Us Lazy?
AI & The Bogus Court Case
Imagine being on board a flight to New York when a clumsy flight attendant injures you with a metal serving cart. You sue the airline looking to win compensation for your injuries. Only to discover your case could be dismissed because your lawyer used AI generated fake evidence in court.
This might sound like a fake scenario, but this is exactly what happened to Roberto Mata in 2019.
Mata’s lawyer, Steven Schwartz unknowingly relied on ChatGPT, a large language model, to find supporting legal evidence for Mata’s case, but after the information could not be verified by the airline’s lawyers, or the judge, the case was at risk of being thrown out.
Schwartz, unaware that the platform could produce unreliable information claimed he’d asked the AI to verify if the cases’ were real – and received a positive response each time, leading him to believe in the authenticity of the AI-generated evidence.
Aside from this story sounding like a season 10 episode of Suits if it were to be released in 2024, it strongly raises concerns about how over-relying on AI, without proper scrutiny, can have serious consequences.
Warning statement placed below the message bar in ChatGPT
Attention to detail? What’s that?
A study at the Technical University of Berlin investigated the impact of technology (AI) on people’s attention to detail.
The experiment involved two groups of participants tasked with identifying errors on a circuit board. The first group was tasked with identifying the errors manually whilst the second group had the assistance of a robot named ‘Panda’.
Despite both groups reporting they performed equally well, the group with Panda’s assistance made significantly more errors.
The researchers attributed this outcome to the idea of ‘social loafing’, where individuals exert less effort in group tasks, assuming the efforts of others (including AI bots) will compensate for their lack of effort.
With AI’s rapid expansion, concerns arise about the potential for social loafing beyond controlled lab settings. For example, imagine doctors relying heavily on AI for medical imaging analysis. While AI can be valuable for identifying common abnormalities, any technical errors made could lead to missed diagnoses, and delays in treatment, potentially reducing patients’ life expectancy.
A similar effect also seemed to be present in an educational setting involving a study with students in China and Pakistan. The researchers found that, despite AI having benefits in assisting with some academic tasks, the technology could also influence a decline in memory and analytical skills. This was due to AI automating tasks associated with these abilities such as reading and comprehension.
These cases suggest that over-reliance on AI to do everything for us can be counterproductive. The technology should be used strategically and with caution, if we are to enjoy its unique capabilities.
Can AI Be the Key to Unlocking Human Potential?
The ‘Iron Man suit’ Effect
If you’re any sort of Marvel fan, you may be familiar with Tony Stark (Iron Man). The genius billionaire inventor whose suit enhances his capabilities to defeat villains such as Ultron and Thanos alongside The Avengers.
And in his case, his advanced weaponised armour is not what makes him powerful, rather it is how he combines the suits capabilities’ with his own intelligence.
Similarly, AI can be our own ‘Iron Man suit’, enhancing our abilities, by removing the knowledge, technical, and financial barriers which may have previously restricted us from reaching our full potential.
How AI is providing greater opportunities for individuals
New generative AI apps are being developed to level the playing field for non-technical individuals to expand their abilities.
Platforms like Replit & Microsoft Copilot allow users to create apps & software by describing their ideas, with no coding or technical skills required.
OpenAI’s DALL-E 2 allows users to produce hyper realistic images with no artistic abilities.
PopAI offers users the ability to produce high quality documents and presentations using text prompts.
And dare I mention ChatGPT after Roberto Mata’s case earlier, but the platform’s advanced content and generative features for a wide range of uses has made it become one of the fastest growing platforms in the world with over 100 million monthly users.
Take the case of Joe Popelas, the high-school graduate who became a millionaire at 20 using ChatGPT to produce up to 40 e-books in a month. Popelas saw the opportunity to integrate AI’s capabilities to respond to market trends faster than the traditional publishing companies, and within a year, his company was valued at $930,000.
Now, those insane business and project ideas that you once thought were way out of your technical reach are more attainable than ever!
Subtractive Productivity 🤝 AI (less is more)
AI’s ability to boost creative output is now more generally acknowledged, but its role in liberating our cognitive abilities by automating time-consuming and non-high value tasks often goes unappreciated.
This concept is recognised as subtractive productivity, which focuses on eliminating non-essential tasks to prioritise those with higher value. With this in mind, AI’s ability to enhance the potential of individuals is endless.
Some individuals who can use AI to subtract time-consuming tasks include:
- Aspiring entrepreneurs, who can use AI to automate extensive market research and data analysis, allowing them to focus on tailoring branding strategies for their target audiences.
- Writers/creatives can use AI to brainstorm a vast amount of high quality ideas before they’ve begun to think of their own, eliminating the issue of ‘writers block’.
- Students can focus on improving their reasoning and writing skills, using AI to find, summarise, and highlight relevant information relating to their assignments from online resources.
Aside from just improved personal productivity, AI has larger applications to the general advancement of society. AI can now be used to analyse medical data such as X-rays and medical history to identify treatment options faster. This will allow doctors to focus on improving patient care and safety, which could save around 3 million lives by reducing unsafe care.
The Future of AI for Productivity
The future of Al for individual productivity is brimming with possibilities. As Al continues to evolve at a rapid pace, we can expect even more powerful tools to emerge.
Imagine AI assistants that not only manage your schedule but also anticipate your needs and proactively complete tasks. Self-driving cars could become mobile workspaces, allowing us to maximise productivity during commutes. These advancements hold immense potential to free up our time and mental energy for higher-level thinking and creative pursuits.
However, it’s crucial to remember that AI should be a tool to empower us, not replace us. AI still lacks human skills like empathy and ethical reasoning, and has the tendency to provide inaccurate information. Therefore, to optimise our experience using AI, we must avoid becoming over-reliant on the technology and carefully assess the outputs generated.
Just as a child needs guidance, AI requires careful development and oversight. With responsible implementation, AI can become our powerful partner in achieving unprecedented levels of productivity!
