Five Threats of AI You Should Know About

By: Rohit Yadav

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Updated on: 05-Apr-2023

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The Future of Life Institute recently launched a petition to halt all AI activities until a better regulatory framework can be established, and notable figures such as Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, and Al pioneer Yoshua Bengio have signed it. What are the risks that people are concerned about? Find out the five threats of AI that you should be aware of.

Misinformation

All chatbots are capable of producing a large amount of content in a very short time, surpassing human capabilities by a considerable margin. However, in a world grappling with issues like fake news and misinformation, this ability could be extremely dangerous. Malicious actors can exploit this capability to spread misinformation on a massive scale, which could have an exponential effect on social media platforms that are already infested with bots. This could potentially prevent people from learning the truth about critical issues.

But it doesn't end there. We also have Al platforms that generate photos and videos, although they are currently in their early stages. With more advanced rendering abilities and better language models, these platforms will be able to create completely fabricated photos and videos to bolster the spread of misinformation. We are already beginning to see early manifestations of this problem in the form of deepfakes.

Threat of security

In 2020, the UK government commissioned a report emphasising the need for AI in cybersecurity to detect and counter online threats faster than human capacity. While this intention is commendable, it also creates a situation where AI is responsible for human online security and decides what is a potential threat, subsequently taking action to prevent it. This raises the question of whether prioritising efficiency over scrutiny is a wise choice. As AI continues to evolve, regulators have a responsibility to determine when and where access to AI should be limited.

Privacy

Although it is not frequently talked about, there is a major threat posed by Al that could have a significant impact on people's lives. Many major companies have access to a vast amount of user data as a result of the services they provide, and some have even been accused of violating user privacy. The concern is that Al could use this data to generate highly precise user profiles, which could be used not only to target advertising but also to replicate user behaviour in a way that is likely to persuade the user to make a purchase. In such a world, consumers would lose the ability to make their own decisions after being manipulated by Al.

Unemployment and Job Automation

The rise of artificial intelligence has raised concerns about the possibility of significant job losses. Many jobs such as data entry, customer service, proofreaders, paralegals, bookkeepers, translators, copywriters, and social media managers are at risk of being made redundant by Al. This issue has been widely debated, and a report from Goldman Sachs has indicated that up to 300 million jobs worldwide could be claimed by artificial intelligence.

Weapons and Cyber Warfare

While Al currently has a limited role in the military, controlling equipment and systems like drones and missiles, it is possible that its role may be expanded in the future to make decisions in life and death situations without human intervention. This has raised concerns about the potential for Al to cause major conflicts that could escalate into wars.

AI has become an important part of modern warfare, and one of its critical applications is in cyber warfare. AI has the potential to significantly enhance cyber defences by automating threat detection and mitigation, providing a faster and more efficient response to cyber attacks. However, it is also capable of being weaponized by attackers to carry out sophisticated attacks, including the creation of fake personas, generation of convincing phishing emails, and other advanced tactics. As cyber attacks become more sophisticated, AI will play a crucial role in countering them, but it will also require careful regulation and ethical considerations to prevent it from being used for malicious purposes.