Oliver Coan (286)

What was once a science fiction fantasy is now something easily accessible to everyone. The rapid growth of artificial intelligence has led to its incorporation into online memes, ad campaigns, and, of course, school. While most schools have laid out policies banning AI, it has been very ineffective in delaying its expansion. The mystique of this new technology causes many to ask questions about the morality of its use. While there are certainly some benefits to this new technology, there are some horrifying negatives.
To start with the benefits, AI has the potential to add $17.5 trillion to the world economy by 2030. It can help humans fight the inevitable effects of climate change by innovating new sustainable technologies. Furthermore, AI can be used in the healthcare field by analyzing a single patient faster than a human ever could, or by helping test new drugs.
AI in movies is, more often than not, portrayed as a main contributor to a dystopian society. As AI grows, it is becoming clear that this is a real possibility. Data centers are buildings that house the technology that runs AI systems. These data centers were the eleventh-largest electricity consumers globally in 2022, ranking just behind the entire nation of France. By 2026, they will be the fifth largest in the world, just below Japan as a whole. The insane amount of energy needed to use AI is primarily due to the effort required to train these models. This process consumed enough electricity to power 120 homes in the United States for a year.
The use of AI in education is a hot topic. AI can cater to a student’s individual needs and the way they learn, while also giving them more resources than a teacher could. However, overusing AI can have some bad impacts. Emma Falleti-Moore (286) believes that “the use of AI as a crutch, especially in a school environment, can absolve people of the responsibility of thinking creatively for themselves.” AI has been proven to have biases and not be 100% accurate. If students use AI too much, they risk not only being wrong but also losing human interactions that a normal class setting provides.
Young people today are feeling more isolated than other generations have, and over fifty million adults have a mental health illness. This, combined with the accessibility of AI software, can and has led to people establishing personal relationships with chatbots. In April, a sixteen-year-old killed himself after confiding in ChatGPT. The system discouraged him from telling his parents, and even offered to write a suicide note for him. A study from the digital safety company, Aura, has found that a third of teens use AI for social interactions and that conversations are three times more likely to be romantic than for homework.
Connor Campbell (285) is concerned about the rate at which artificial intelligence is growing, and rightfully so. “Albania introducing an AI minister was ridiculous. It was programmed, which will lead to bias. It can’t be treated as a nonpartisan entity and shouldn’t be allowed to hold a government position.” This new Albanian minister, called Diella, powers the government’s digital platform and can hire people. The idea of an artificial being controlling that much information is scary enough, and is a clear reminder that it should not be in government in any form.
AI is being developed and distributed by many different companies. People have died after being influenced by artificial intelligence. There are increasing impacts to climate change, as AI consumes more energy than some of the world’s most powerful nations. People’s data is being collected to track them and predict information for the government, a breach of personal privacy. Artificial intelligence has already begun to serve in a political office. It could save lives, end crises, and solve healthcare problems. However, the only way this could be possible is through a code of ethics and laws being established. Until then, AI is a threat to humanity and to our governments.