Generative AI - EOTO 2  

    For many, a life without AI seems impossible. These days, we need AI like we need oxygen, some brains can’t even function without it. Students are no longer able to generate ideas by themselves, and don’t know where to begin creating literature or art without AI. It is singlehandedly responsible for the dimishing originality and quality in school studies. With humans becoming more dependant on the tool, it has gained more power over society. This continual growth has put power into the hands of AI; letting it take over society and personal lives. 

    To be more concise, generative AI is the dilemma that is stripping students of their creativity and intellect. It’s a serious problem, especially in adacemics. So what is it? Generative AI is a technology that produces text, images, music and videos in a mass and efficent format. Generative AI follows fixed rules and patters to create a product that seems human. This is obviously impressive technology, but comes with glaring challenges at the same time.  

    Generative AI is a complex issue as it has substancial positives and negatives. On one side, we know that generative AI can be instructed to make deepfakes and spread misinformation, it is taking jobs from hardworking employees, it promotes quantity over quality, and instills lazy habits in users. Yet, in contrast, it boosts workflow and productivity by making quick work of daunting tasks, it is cheap for users as there are a variety of free AI sites that produce valid work, and it can even be personalized to perform exactly to one’s needs and prefrences in content. With this being said, it becomes clear that AI is more helpful to some than others. 

    When thinking of who benefits and who suffers from generative AI, my mind quickly goes to the less fortunate who are losing their jobs and wellbeings to AI machines. People who depend heavily on their employement are being traded for faceless robots. What’s even worse, is that AI is being used to diagnose diseases, decipher medical records, analyze and hire candidates, choose who is eligible for compensation and loans, etc. This may seem efficient, but robots being put in charge of life altering decisions is always a recipe for disaster.  

    Generative AI can make anyone vulnerable to ridcule with a few simple clicks. With the skill and realness of it’s creations, people can be put in terrible positions by absolutely anyone due to deepfakes. Celebrities are especially being targeted. Internet trolls can create images of well-known people engaging in criminal or innapropriate activity meant to tarnish their reputation. Due to how precise this technology can be, these fake images are sadly often believed by the public. Making them successful in demeaning and ruining careers of victims. 

    For my generation, specifically, AI is producing interesting opportunities for a more efficient future, but the negative implications of it make the invention a double-edged sword. No matter the negatives, though, AI is a snowball that keeps growing larger, with absolutely no end in sight. We must learn to grow, adapt, and take advantage of it, before it takes advantage of us.