The world is facing a problem. Ever since the invention of AI, how we function on Earth has been rapidly changing and evolving. The internet changed extremely, improving service for users by recommending products someone might like or promoting ads. As AI became something that the public has easy access to, more and more people debate if it is valuable or threatening. It has many advantages that could make our world a better place, but also a lot of disadvantages that can cause harm.
Advantages
First, AI can be beneficial in the healthcare industry. AI can help with treatment plans and diagnosis of patients, working faster than any human can. It can aid in identifying natural disasters ahead of time and help first responders, potentially saving thousands of lives. The technology of AI can help disabled people. Its services can make devices more accessible by enabling voice recognition, describing objects and people, and confirming wheelchair accessibility at certain places.
Disadvantages
In order to power the IT equipment needed for AI to function, extreme amounts of water and electricity are needed. To train an AI model, carbon dioxide is needed. The use of carbon dioxide contributes to the amount of emissions in the atmosphere. Additionally, outside of the environment, AI can take humans jobs. With advancements made through AI, jobs people do can be done by its programming. The expansion of AI will potentially leave thousands of people out of a job.
Use in school
Because AI is now accessible to the general public through chatbots like ChatGPT, many students now use it to help with their schoolwork. They plug science and math problems into ChatGPT, or ask it to write an essay for them. Some teachers embrace AI and use it to plan lessons or create worksheets. Others are strictly against the use of it, and think it is unethical. Either way, students now use it to do their work for them.
My Opinion
I believe that AI can be a good thing for certain people who need aid from it, but the disadvantages are impossible to ignore. The environment is already being killed by pollution and global warming, so the addition of AI depleting water sources and adding carbon emissions will become too much for the earth if the use of AI continues. Additionally, AI makes students dependant on something else to do their work. Students who use AI in class not only are sacrificing their integrity, but also their brains. With AI, students become lazy. They don’t see the need to do their assignments because ChatGPT can do it for them. So, they don’t actually learn or understand the material they are supposed to absorb. I think with AI, students will eventually lack critical thinking and need something else to solve all of their problems for them. Even in English classes this year, students struggle to comprehend and read hard texts. They are so used to the answers being handed to them by AI that they cannot come up with their own interpretation of what literature means. I’m against AI for this exact reason. If students continue to use it, they won’t actually learn any skills that could help them in the future. They are building a habit of relying on technology to do everything for them. If they use it in school, there’s no reason why they won’t use it in their careers. AI might be a cool new technology people want to explore, but I think people should be warned against it.