Exploring Applications of AI: How Important Is AI To Our Society Today?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly growing field that has become increasingly important in recent years. AI can perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence, such as speech recognition or language translation. In this blog post, we'll explore why AI is becoming so important, and how it's playing an increasingly critical role in our society.

how important is ai

What is AI?

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is a unit of computer science that deals with managing machines that can perform tasks such as learning, problem-solving, and decision-making. AI contains a wide range of subjects, concepts, and fields including ML (Machine Learning), robotics, etc. 

In recent years, AI has become more accessible to businesses, researchers, and everyday users. The rise of AI has been fueled by advances in computing power, data processing, and machine learning algorithms. ChatGPT is an example of an Artificial Intelligence Chatbot created by OpenAI that is mostly accessible to the public. 

Overall, AI has the potential to revolutionize many areas of life, from healthcare to transportation to entertainment, by providing powerful tools for analyzing data, making decisions, and automating tasks. 

So How Big is AI’s Impact On Our Society?

Artificial Intelligence is developing and becoming the driving force for change and growth in our society. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the manufacturing of new AI technologies: digital payments, online customer service, communication platforms, etc. AI has played a huge role in this shift in technological development. 

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of technological advancements, many are becoming aware of the new environment created by AI mechanisms. However, as with any new technology, there are also concerns about the ethical implications of AI and the impact it could have on jobs and society as a whole.

Some view the shift in development with skepticism and are concerned about the impacts of the new technologies on current society; many debates whether the development of AI technology should be limited to certain boundaries.

AI technology has outperformed humans in many different ways, hence, the fear that AI will take over most of the traditional functionalities of the world. 

Despite the popular concern that society’s overdependence on AI leads to the loss of employment, a higher risk of climate change, and threats of data breaches regarding consumer privacy, AI technology is incredibly important and must be continued for the development and well-being of our society because the role of AI in current jobs will end up creating a wider variety of work much more than it automates; AI has the ability to initiate innovative technologies that combat critical issues such as global warming, and AI’s mechanisms allow applications to strengthen the security around sensitive and personal information to prevent major data breaches.  

AI strengths and functions integrate into human work to generate better work outcomes. In other words, employees who work alongside machines where labor is only substituted, benefit more than workers who supply tasks for the machines to complete. The general rules of the relationship between humans and machines are that automation only substitutes for labor; automation complements labor and does not take away from its original functions and purpose. 

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Examples of AI Integration In Society

Business

AI is transforming the way businesses operate. It makes businesses more efficient, effective, and competitive. 

One of the most significant impacts of AI within businesses is its ability to automate repetitive and mundane tasks. AI-powered systems can quickly and accurately complete tasks such as data entry, scheduling, and customer support. This automation frees up employees' time, allowing them to focus on more complex and strategic work that requires human skills like creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

Another significant impact of AI within businesses is its ability to enhance customer service. Recently, more and more online websites have AI-powered chatbots that can provide 24/7 customer support, answering customer inquiries and resolving issues quickly. This type of immediate response can enhance customer satisfaction and improve overall customer experience. 

AI can also provide businesses with valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences. By analyzing customer data, businesses can gain a better understanding of their target audience and tailor their products and services accordingly. This personalized approach can lead to increased customer engagement and loyalty, ultimately leading to increased revenue.

Medicine

Precision is incredibly important in the field of Medicine and AI-powered systems can help with this matter.

AI can be used to improve diagnosis and treatments. The AI-powered systems can analyze patient medical records to provide more accurate and personalized diagnoses and treatment plans. AI can aid in what humans have errors in such as detecting subtle changes in mammograms or CT scans that the human eye could have missed. 

AI is also being used to monitor patients remotely, allowing doctors to track their health status and intervene if necessary. For example, AI-powered systems can monitor a patient's vital signs, such as heart rate and blood pressure, and alert doctors if there are any signs of a potential problem.

This type of remote monitoring can be particularly beneficial for patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, who require ongoing monitoring and management.

While some challenges, such as the need for ethical considerations and the potential for bias, must be addressed, the benefits of AI in the medical field are undeniable. As AI continues to evolve and become more advanced, we can expect to see even greater improvements in patient outcomes, increased efficiency, and hopefully, making healthcare more accessible and effective for everyone.

Misconceptions of AI Automation

With AI automation’s interplay with human labor, the concept of automation is often misunderstood. Automation with technology and machines substitutes for labor managed by humans. It is necessary to understand that technology and machines are vessels to help work and improve the work process. 

A job comprises multiple tasks and it is most unlikely that AI’s technological machines will replace all tasks in one job as AI will only replace the repetitive, mundane, and dangerous tasks such as assembly line manufacturing or market research analysis. AI technology will change the qualities that define work. 

As human capacity is freed-up, workers are allowed to focus on different tasks that require higher levels of attentiveness. The newly developed jobs will allow those more time to be creative and conscious. 

AI has the advantages of accuracy, speed, etc, while humans have the strengths of cognition, feeling, judgment, and more. Hence finding the middle ground between humans, machines, and algorithms is incredibly important for the development of jobs and for the benefit of society. AI-associated jobs will combine the strengths of both technology and humans to generate better performance outcomes, developments in data, and more employment opportunities for various field studies. 

Main Takeaways:

AI plays a huge role in the further development of our current society. Various devices such as digital assistants, chatbots, robot delivery, and many more are now common tools for convenience and enhanced performance.

Technology developed in the Fourth Industrial Revolution will continue to change the world and the way we work and live. Despite the varying opinions on AI’s impact on our current lives, technology will become even more critical in the near future as our society today depends so much on innovative technologies.  

Interested in our online AI coding program for middle & high school students? Enter your email below for program enrollment, updates & more!

   

About Inspirit AI

AI Scholars Live Online is a 10 session (25-hour) program that exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Taught by our team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.

By Ellen Jun, Inspirit AI Ambassador

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