AI sparks concerns, discourse
KUWAIT: Recent leaps in artificial intelligence (AI) have sparked serious discourse on whether or not this technology will soon replace human beings in various tasks and jobs. For those touting human ingenuity and creativity, the old folktale of John Henry and the Railroad might provide inspiration. The story has it that Henry—an African American folk hero and railroad worker—competed against a steam-powered drill, trying to prove that man was much faster and stronger than a machine.
The legend concludes with him winning by sheer force and determination. Many might argue the authenticity of the story, but one cannot deny that humans have the imagination and consciousness that no current technology could sincerely duplicate or imitate. However, does the relationship between AI and humanity have to be one of competitiveness and rivalry, or might it be a synergistic relationship in line with other technological advancements in history, with infinite possibilities looming on the horizon?
Several ramifications
“Applications of AI technology have several ramifications in politics and business, but the idea of “creating content dynamically without involving human beings is a very traumatic change in the way we work,” Bahrain’s Ameen Altajer, CEO of the AI Company (INFINITEWARE), told KUNA in a series of interviews with experts and individuals tackling the topic at hand. Altajer, whose company has been providing products and services to clients across the globe for more than 15 years, said that AI applications would have an effect on several sectors, including the media and news.
In corporate spaces, like banks, AI technology is being put to use to perform language-based tasks, including drafting emails. This “takes a lot of the workload from human beings, so it has a lot of pros and cons,” he said. Asked if AI would be able to venture off without the involvement of humans, Altajer said that there was a level of “symbiosis” between the technology and humans; however, AI was not at that stage where it could develop a sense of agency on its own without humans being in the picture. AI could make decisions, affirmed the expert, adding that the concept of machine learning involves specifying inputs and outputs via algorithms and data to imitate decision-making by humans without the machine knowing the practical details of the process.
AI and Language Learning Models
If prompted, AI—through the machine learning process—could distinguish between images of cats and dogs without really knowing the intricate details and differences of both species unless fed with more information, he explained. “There is no agency... no consciousness as far as we can understand and see,” stated Altajer, but pointed out that AI, as a technology, would for sure change down the road.
On current uses of AI and Language Learning Models (LLM), he said that both technologies involve feeding a tremendous amount of data and text to provide convincing output that mimics humans. Altajer did express fear when it came to involving AI and other similar technologies in making powerful decisions, asking, “If we do not understand how those systems really work from the inside, are we okay with the idea of delegating the ‘driving wheel’ to them?”
In the case of information being implicitly biased, AI would be making decisions according to data regardless of circumstances, firing or hiring individuals, favoring certain races, hair colors, and whatnot if the data dictated so, he said.
Bringing the economy into the sphere of discussions, Mohammad Ramadan—an economic researcher and columnist for the Kuwaiti newspaper—said that recent advancements in AI had increased its usage across the board. “We see the usage in financial markets, trading, fraud detection, image recognition, military use, and self-driving cars,” stated Ramadan about the vast utilization of AI.
AI taking over jobs?
On fears of AI taking over careers, Ramadan pointed out that “some people should be worried that AI will take their jobs, especially jobs that could be automated.” According to a July 29, 2023, report by McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), a 1990-established organization aiding in economic and business decision-making, “by 2030, activities that account for up to 30 percent of hours currently worked across the US economy could be automated—a trend accelerated by generative AI.”.
Ramadan explained that the report’s findings were no cause for plausible concern, indicating, “When the PC was invented, it had replaced the typing machines, other devices, or jobs that have been there, and this is called structural unemployment, where people lose their jobs due to market structure change.” On the solution to such possible unemployment, the expert said that people could adapt easily by gathering different sets of skills and knowledge and creating new jobs and career paths.
Ramadan also spoke about the government’s responsibilities towards the issue of AI, saying, “Government should not do anything except regulate AI to be more legally usable; video generated by AI could be almost realistic; voice could be realistic; chatbots could act like humans; so we do not know how that thing could develop.” He indicated that various polls across the globe showed that a huge percentage of people feared that AI could be used fraudulently.
Economic landscape
Ramadan asserted that AI and humans could coexist in the economic landscape; however, between 2023 and 2030, the AI market size is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 37.3 percent, according to a report by the India-US-based market research and consulting company “Grand View Research,” cited by several outlets, including Forbes. Ramadan estimated that the AI market and industry would reach about $200 billion by 2030, reiterating that such a landscape would be shared by AI and humans, but the latter should “adapt to use AI to their benefit rather than do the jobs that AI perfectly or effectively does.”
AI technology is not only concerned with sectors like the economy; it also goes head-to-head with artists and creators, putting out what some AI devotees could subjectively call “art.” Dana Al-Rashid, a Kuwaiti digital artist known for her style of socially driven miniature paintings, indicated that she was not averse to the use of technological tools to produce works of art.
“There is a misconception about digital art or the use of technologies such as programs and tablets... People think that the computer is doing the work for you... As in, you plug in some keywords and it comes up with art,” said Al-Rashid, who pointed out that she used a variety of digital tools manually to enhance her artistic outputs to be more accurate and detailed. In regards to the ability of AI to produce art, Al-Rashid said that she was “very worried,” adding that the current level of AI output might be flimsy, but it would surely improve as time progresses.
Some people with no aesthetic training think that AI-generated outputs “would make do,” the Kuwaiti artist said. Al-Rashid added, “I am quite worried about it. I do art professionally. I illustrate for musicians. I write books, so AI would take on that job because some musicians would use AI to create album art for free.” She indicated that she wanted to transition to becoming a full-time digital artist, especially since the Kuwaiti government is supportive of talented individuals and entrepreneurs.
“AI is going to affect so many jobs... I think it is going to be a very different world in the next few years,” affirmed Al-Rashid, who warned against AI’s alarming ability to duplicate any artistic style. She stressed, “AI art has to come from somewhere,” revealing that the data provided by artists was the main source and reason current AI technology was able to produce so-called “art,” which is very worrisome and should be contested.
This very fact should be put under legal scrutiny to protect the rights of artists worldwide, Al-Rashid asserted. While the point of view of experts is well regarded, as it should be, AI usage eventually extended beyond the boundaries of intellectual debates, touching the lives of everyday individuals. “The first time I used AI was to draft an email asking to order ink. The email was three paragraphs long and filled with irrelevant information. I edited the email and sent it to my manager,” stated Bader Al-Tameemi, CEO of Mirqab Medical Equipment Company.
The following day, Al-Tameemi received a phone call early in the morning inquiring about the longwinded email in which he explained his usage of AI. “After this, I became
a frequent user of AI, mainly in drafting emails and responses,” Al-Tameemi professed. In his view of what AI consisted of, Al-Tameemi understood that AI was “software” made from many algorithms that were connected to databases. “It will search for any requested information and come up with an answer. The more specific details you provide in your question, the more accurate an answer you will get.”
Asked if he thought AI was a valuable tool to be used in every aspect of life, Al-Tameemi replied, “Yes, it is a valuable tool that saves time and money.” Whether he was offended that AI could carry out tasks much faster than humans could, Al-Tameemi made an analogy with the rise of computer technology, saying, “When the computer first came into the market, people had the same misconception (of losing jobs), but now it is used everywhere in our daily lives. I believe this also applies to AI.”
AI replacing humans
Sharing a similar take, high school student Omar Al-Shatti said that AI has great potential to push human beings to be more productive and innovative. “AI is a useful tool that will make various daily chores quite easy,” he touted, pointing out that “AI will replace humans in monotonous and tedious tasks, allowing people to focus on more creative ventures.” Whether he used AI, Al-Shatti answered that he did research on topics of interest outside of the context of his school studies, saying that the vast capabilities of artificial intelligence made him stand in awe and appreciation of this technological leap. The AI and human ingenuity debate is full of inconclusive pieces of evidence and numerous variables, but it would surely continue to lie “between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge,” to quote Rod Sterling, creator of the seminal sci-fi and supernatural television series “Twilight Zone.”