Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been hailed as revolutionary and world changing. While AI does have some convenient and beneficial aspects such as speed of information and automation; there are some serious risks that occur with the rising use of AI. As AI grows more sophisticated and widespread, the potential threats and dangers of AI are growing louder and louder. 

Impact on Jobs:

One of the most pressing threats is AI’s impact on the human job market. The concerning risk is that the human labor market will be made redundant  by machines that are cheaper to run than human beings. AI machines would not require paychecks, insurance or any type of “employee benefits.” There would be no need for policies surrounding issues such as DEI, equal pay, discrimination, or wrongful termination. This in turn, would drastically reduce the function of The Bureau of Labor and Industry. 

Impact on Education:

A student sits at his desk. He has been given the assignment of writing an essay on the Cuban Missile Crisis during Kennedy’s presidency. He opens his school- issued tablet, and types a single prompt into an AI chatbox. Within seconds, a well written essay appears on his screen. His assignment is completed and turned into the teacher. He has learned nothing. 

One of the greatest dangers of AI in education is not that they will help students cheat; but rather it will reshape how they think, learn and even understand truth itself. The problem is not merely that students may use AI to cheat on assignments—it’s that they may cheat themselves out of the very mental work that forms them into capable thinkers. A fifth grader who struggled with reading and writing, once asked, “Why do I need to know how to read and write? I can just ask Google for anything that I need to know.” 

Nature Reviews Bioengineering published an article titled, “Writing is Thinking.” While this article’s focus was on writing scientific articles as part of the scientific method to communicate research findings; it also included the importance behind human- generated writing. According to this article, writing is not only about reporting results; it also provides a tool to uncover new thoughts and ideas.  The thesis behind this article is that writing is not simply a way of spitting back what some AI wrote. Human- generated writing ( the act of drafting, wrestling with ideas and revising ) forces the brain to process information, clarify thoughts and form original positions. A premature use of AI in education risks depriving students of that experience. Human- generated writing helps us uncover “new thoughts and ideas.”  It encourages us to think in a linear and structured way, which increases brain connectivity, and improves overall learning and memory. These aren’t just academic skills—they are foundational to human intelligence.

Impact on the Environment:

Operating generative AI language models requires huge amounts of computer power. This is provided by vast data centers that burn through energy at rates comparable to small nations, creating poisonous emissions and noise pollution.These data centers also consume massive amounts of water at a time when water conservation is a public concern. Some believe that the eventual advancements  created by AI will eventually outweigh the harm it causes to the environment. Yet,  a lot of these advances are currently theoretical, while the environmental impact of AI is happening today.

Impact on Privacy:

We all joke that our tv’s cell phones, computers etc. are listening to us. Well, that might not be just a joking matter after all. It is not a coincidence that after you are chatting with your friend, spouse, or children about your desire to purchase a new table, that all of a sudden you see ads on your computer screen for furniture. AI has the ability to capture and process vast quantities of personal information. Employers are increasingly monitoring and analyzing worker activity. There is a growing number of AI-enabled cameras on our devices, and in our streets, vehicles and homes. Police forces are rolling out facial-recognition technology. Soon no corner will be safe from prying AIs.

Impact on Intellectual Property:

Multinational technology companies can train their AI’s on the work of artists, authors and other creative professionals, without paying them a dime. This has sparked widespread protest and backlash, with artists and their unions arguing that tech companies are effectively monetizing their stolen Intellectual Property (IP). Despite the legal battles, OpenAI and Google are spending huge resources into their missions for more and more training data. There are legitimate concerns that the rights of human creators might be overlooked in the interest of AI training. 

Impact on Information:

AI enables and accelerates the spread of misinformation. It makes it quicker and easier to disseminate the misinformation and makes it  more convincing. It is harder to detect from Deepfake videos of world leaders saying or doing things that never happened, to conspiracy theories flooding social media in the form of stories and images designed to go viral and cause disruption. The aim is often to destabilize, and create chaos and fear. One very scary factor is that the algorithmic nature of AI reinforces views by serving up content that individuals are likely to agree with. Or worse yet, leads the individual to content agreed upon by the creator of the AI algorithm, and suppresses content that opposes the creator of the algorithm. 

Impact on the Financial Industry:

 AI algorithms can help investors make smarter and more informed decisions on the market. But finance organizations need to make sure they understand their AI algorithms and how those algorithms make decisions. For example, “AI trading bots”aren’t clouded by human judgment or emotions.  They also don’t take into account contexts, the interconnectedness of markets and factors like human trust and fear. These algorithms then make thousands of trades at the speed of lightening with the goal of selling a few seconds later for small profits. Selling off thousands of trades could scare investors into doing the same thing, leading to sudden crashes and extreme market volatility.

“Frankenstein”, “The Space Odyssey”, “Terminator” and “The Matrix”, are cautionary tales that warned us of the potential dangers of giving our creations the power of thought. To some, those stories are just entertainment. To others, they are an eerie feeling of what might come to fruition. It’s hard to comprehend how we would go from ChatGPT to machines intent or even capable of maliciously harming us. But the threat of “runaway AI”,  should be treated very seriously. Many leading AI researchers and alliances have spoken openly about the need for safeguards and transparency to prevent unknowable circumstances from emerging in the future. 

It is important to acknowledge and address the risks of AI and its impact on our country. It is equally important to focus on building the safeguards, governance frameworks, and ethical guidelines that can steer this technology toward positive outcomes. By addressing these risks with informed action, we can hopefully shape a future where AI serves humanity rather than threatens it.

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