When I first heard about AI, I wrote it off as another technology that probably shouldn’t exist because it will replace peoples’ minds and inevitably make us rely on it. To some extent, this is true. It is a well-known crisis that many college students, for example, use ChatGPT to write their papers for them. Professors worry about the bots replacing the minds of their students, and it is a common fear that an AI bot might go renegade and destroy us all Terminator-style.
So, what is Artificial Intelligence? According to the National Artificial Intelligence Act of 2020, the U.S. Department of State defines AI as “a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations or decisions influencing real or virtual environments.” In other words, AI is just the “cutting edge” technology of the time. We use AI every day on our smartphones. AI helps run corporations like Amazon. Professors regularly use AI as a research assistant to help refine their searches on niche topics. It even assists in providing healthcare. According to the BBC, AI can now detect early signs of cancer, which could potentially save a patient’s life.
In fact, the use of AI has become a game-changer in healthcare. For example, an AI bot can detect skin cancer with 91% accuracy, which is a marginally higher rate than a human dermatologist. This is just one of many ways that AI is used in healthcare. According to Dr. Cedrek McFadden, AI can speed up and advance research in the drug industry and streamline diagnoses for clients. As healthcare in Tennessee becomes an increasingly large part of our state’s economy, AI will likely become more commonplace in assisting healthcare workers to better serve their patients. That is, if federal and state regulations don’t hinder progress and innovation with heavy-handed regulations around public use of new technology.
Of course, the fears that many people have regarding AI are not completely unfounded. Any new technology is a powerful tool for people with the means to exploit it. With the ability for AI to detect patterns in your computer habits and cater ads to your preferences, tech companies have easy access to your routine habits and customs. Some point out, however, that this catered experience can also be a benefit.
The unanswerable question seems to me, do the goods of AI outweigh the evils? Some will say yes, and others no, but one thing won’t change: the technology isn’t going away. People will continue to innovate and develop new technologies that push the limits of what these bots can do. There are calls already to “stop” AI, similar to the criticism that the internet received in its early days. This course of action is simply not feasible. Lawmakers should stay informed on changing technologies and collaborate on policies that allow for growth and innovation while guarding against abuses by bad actors. Thoughtful research and policy, as well as regulations around AI to protect the public while allowing innovation to flourish, will allow the benefits of AI or any technological innovation to truly help all Tennesseans.