As the world moves forward continuously, so does technology. Today, we have technology that allows us to listen to music, take pictures, and communicate with other people across the world. This technology also allows us to search for materials which would otherwise take us hours to look for in the library. We have technology that lets us see reality with our eyes and travel around the world without leaving our homes. Such wonders were once only imaginable but now we have technology that allows us to communicate, without having to talk to an actual living person. Welcome to the world of AI.
AI might sound like a modern invention but the earliest form of AI technology was seen made in the 1940s by Alan Turing. He created the first mechanical computer called the ‘colossus computer.’ The device helped significantly reduce the work of code-breaking on the Enigma machine. The machine was one of the first generational computers to ever be created.
Today we use the same concept that Alan Turing created but in a much more advanced way. The computer is now not only capable of generating code but can predict the next move of a player, generate images, and perform many other functions.
Alan Turing’s creation led to one of the earliest AI programs being written. Christopher Strachey was the first creator of such a program of Checkers. The program was a simple game that allowed a human player to play against a machine. One of the first steps toward AI technology.
Moving to the 21st century, AI programs have exponentially expanded. Now we have a program that follows us around on the internet and dictates our pattern of behaviour. This can however be more dangerous if used incorrectly or in a way that may not be as beneficial for society as we all think it may be. Some AI can tell apart a human from an object within milliseconds. Others can help to detect illness in someone and some can generate text within seconds.
I have decided to test this AI myself on a computer website called ‘Chat GPT’ – Chat GPT.
I asked the AI to create a story about a protest. To my surprise, the story was created within 3 seconds, well written and explained. Such stories would take an experienced person 30 minutes or more to write.
I also asked it for a simple recipe to cook. This time it took about a minute to generate the answer. However, after a minute, it gave me a recipe and instructions to spaghetti with tomato sauce and meatballs. To my amazement, it was written clearly and sounded amazing.
This leads to the question of how AI can be used in politics. So, I decided to test it out. I asked the website AI ‘Which party I should vote for in the UK.’ It replied quickly and denied me an answer as it was not designed to tell me what to do. It also gave me a piece of advice on who to pick by telling me to read all the views and research such as what the candidate is offering and to vote for who I believe would be good and not someone else. I later asked the AI which party is better, Labour or Conservative. The AI generated this:
As can be seen from my research, AI is sustainably neutral. The good thing was it allowed the individual to choose from what they believe not what a machine wants. However, it did give me more questions about AI technology in case of no barriers. How would it lean toward a side, and who would it support? Would it be programmed towards the creator and be always supporting what the creator wants or will it be more creative and find solutions at every step?
Next, I thought of getting images generated by AI. I used another website called ‘deepai.org’.
The first image that I asked to create is a ‘ flying horse across the sky’. The image that it generated was a white horse in the sky. The image looked like a picture at first and could even be considered heavenly. This led me to create another image. So, I gave a more political prompt.
I asked the AI if it can create an image of ‘Politics.’ The image that it created was a group of people around a table that had words on it, a sign in the background and a flag.
The images that were generated were again neutral and did not show any political signs affecting the creation. This however is not seen by everyone who uses such technology.
What I have gathered from my research is the limitation within which AI is programmed. The programming has been done carefully so it doesn't show any bias towards political sides. Such limitation is beneficial in today’s society but if taken away, the situation can be much scarier. Images that are created by AI can be much more realistic than what was generated for me.
For instance, a few images that recently circulated were of Donald Trump’s arrests. Trump had informed the public that he would be arrested in the upcoming weeks. This did not happen, or did it? Images came to light of Mr Trump being held in police custody and some cases running away from them. Images were seen all over the internet and largely on Twitter.
Images of Trump being arrested, being pinned down to the floor or running away from the police. At first, it looked very realistic. But after closer examination, it can be seen as created by a computer - Twitter.
Another image seen on the internet is of Hillary Clinton’s arrest which also creates a much more realistic look at first glance - Twitter.
Such images created now can be still recognised. However, the same cannot be said for the future when graphics and computer AI improves.
AI will not only have the potential to affect political images but also everyday life when further developed.
According to Euro news, 80% of the workforce in the US alone could have at least 10% of their work affected by AI. While 19% of the workers could see 50% of their tasks impacted -Euro news.
Pieter den Hamer, the Vice President of Research of AI has said “that every job will be affected by the Artificial Intelligence.” – The Washington Post.
Humans might be considered inefficient for most of the jobs that are seen today which would lead to larger problems in the future if a solution is not found. For instance, Johnson and Johnson used AI to speed up its trials and research of the Coronavirus vaccine which helped them identify the hot spots of new variants. Narrowing it down and understanding where it may next appear and what drugs would be more effective.
When considering analysis, AI can be used to compare political parties. It can have a major impact on democracy today. It can generate smart text that is more well-written than a human can write. The method of writing could have the potential to influence political discourse and would affect individual choice. – NeuroscienceNews.
Others add that it can be a new way to create a new form of political propaganda which could shape the individual's mind much faster than it can now. Nations like China clamped down on access to such AI to the public as it can be considered political propaganda from the USA. The Chinese government sees the technology as an infraction to the politics back home and sees it as a violation of the laws and regulations of the land. The model is based on ‘western countries’ where it could potentially create a lot of issues for nations that do not follow the same ideology or patterns of life. – The Guardian
If a nation masters the arts of using AI technology and can program the AI to the best ability, then it will be on top of the pyramid. They will hold the power to create any event that they want, allowing them to have a story that they would want to share.
The one who masters the skill to program such AI could be the future leading nation. If placed in the wrong hands, it could have devastating effects. If in the correct hands, then it would help many. Only time will tell.
Edited By: Rhea Jimmy
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