AI has been a dream since computers began, but what is being marketed today by tech corporations is not intelligence, it’s a giant, super-powered version of the auto-complete on your phone. These models are built by feeding them massive amounts of human input and asking the computer to create a response based on it. When you ask it a question, it doesn’t ‘think’ or ‘understand’ your problem. Instead, it uses statistics to guess which word should come next based on everything it has read. It creates the illusion of thought because it is incredibly good at recognizing patterns, but at its core, it is a math tool, not a conscious being.
In the current day discourse, there is a lot of fear mongering going on about AI, like doomsday scenarios and mass unemployment. This tends to shift conversation away from actual AI issues facing everyday people right now. This is not our goal. At SAFAR, our risks of concern are present issues facing society that can result in real harm. The AI risks most concerning to our organization are algorithmic discrimination, privacy violations, unsafe automation, and negative externalities from data centers (pollution, environmental harm, utility rate hikes). However, we at SAFAR want to emphasize that although risks with AI do exist, we believe they can me mitigated and AI will serve as a landmark tool for human flourishing.
While the risks of AI are significant, they are often the result of misuse, automating too quickly, and profit-driven development rather than the technology itself. By shifting toward a oversight approach that prioritizes safety over chasing dollar signs, AI can be transformed into a landmark tool for human flourishing. In the classroom, it can act as a personalized tutor that adapts to each student’s unique learning pace. In medicine and science, it serves as a high-speed collaborator capable of solving puzzles in days that would take humans decades, such as identifying early signs of disease or accelerating the discovery of life-saving drugs. When governed by transparency and ethical oversight, these systems can also protect our environment by optimizing energy grids and coordinating disaster relief more effectively. Ultimately, the goal is a partnership where technology helps our society to become more efficient and advance faster while protecting human rights and dignity.