Creating an effective and powerful version of artificial intelligence may be one of humanity’s biggest accomplishments. Unfortunately, it may also be the downfall of mankind. AI refers to a program that has the ability to perform tasks that typically only humans could do. As AI begins to become more popular all over the world, it is being used in harmful ways that is helping the world take a turn for the worse.
Artificial intelligence does more harm than good. While AI can contribute some good things to the world, such as aid in healthcare research and enhanced efficiency in multiple different areas of work, its misuse is overpowering and is harming the Earth.
As the range of AI ability continues to grow, more and more people are starting to make music with the help of AI. Some artists even use AI to create entire albums. This becomes harmful by taking away from real musicians who put time and energy into their work. Some even worry that as AI continues to progress, human musicians will eventually be displaced and lose their jobs.
The same issue goes for all sorts of artists. Access to these art generators are extremely accessible and easy to use, continuing to serve as a threat to real artists. As technology develops, people struggle to tell the difference between what is created by AI, and what is created by real people. Not only does this threaten the artists, it also undermines them. As AI art advances, it gains different information and styles from already created art pieces, making pieces with a blend of different styles. This takes away from artists who opt for a more simple art style rather than an eccentric style, and may lead to the loss of the traditional style.
In addition, AI is negatively impacting education, specifically for high school students. Students, including me, have moments where we lack motivation to do assignments, and we wish they would magically do themselves. This lack of motivation is exactly why students have resorted to using AI on school work. Students cheating in school has been an issue for years. However, the introduction to AI applications, such as ChatGPT, has only amplified cheating, especially among high school students.
According to Forbes, 90% of students have used AI for school assignments. AI allows academic misconduct and creates an unfair advantage over students who don’t use AI. Reliance on AI to complete these tasks as a teenager will leave many people to struggle in the real world once they graduate high school.
Along with the threat of AI in schools, the creation of deepfakes are becoming an increasingly harmful form of AI. A deepfake is a form of AI that involves a video that has been digitally altered in order to look like something it is not. This technology is commonly abused to spread misinformation. In 2017, a deepfake of actress Gal Gadot engaging in inappropriate acts was spread across the internet. Despite AI not being as advanced in 2017 as it is now, the fact that many people believed that video was real is a very scary reality. If it was realistic enough for people to believe in 2017, what kind of harm could a deepfake do now?
In a similar but far more dangerous situation, a deepfake of former president Barack Obama hit the internet in 2023. This is an especially dangerous form of misinformation. If people continue to make deepfakes of politicians, dangerous and wrong information can be spread across the nation. As AI continues to advance and get smarter, the impending doom of who could be made into a deepfake is an issue that needs to be taken seriously. If the wrong people get their hands on deepfake technology, it could be detrimental to society.
Many people think that the use of AI is beneficial to humanity due to its ability to conduct enhanced research in healthcare and boost the economy by opening up technology related jobs. While it is true that AI has contributed favorable information to society, the effects from the misuse of AI is beginning to overwhelm these benefits and is causing harm to students, artists, and celebrities.
Fortunately, on April 28 of this year, the House of Representatives passed the Take It Down Act which criminalizes the creation of non-consensual deepfakes. This bill is a great start to tackling the misuse of AI. Bills similar to this one should continue to be passed in order to make AI can only be used in beneficial instances.
Considering these harmful misuses of AI, it is becoming increasingly clear that more legislation needs to be passed in order to regulate it. The harm that the misuse of AI can do is finally shining through, and harming our world in more ways than one.
