The Rise of AI

A self-driving car. The virtual assistant Alexa. The movies recommended for you on Disney+. What do these things have in common? They’re all powered by artificial intelligence, or AI.

AI is a technology that allows computers and other machines to do tasks that typically require a human’s ability to think or learn.

In recent years, AI has become more powerful than ever. AI-powered chatbots, like ChatGPT, can carry on humanlike conversations. You can ask them to do all sorts of things. Tell a joke? Check. Write a song in the style of Taylor Swift? Check. Other AI tools can create images and art.

For some people, AI is exciting. They say it could be key to solving some of the world’s biggest problems. But 41 percent of Americans think that AI will do more harm than good.

What do you think?

Keep reading to explore the future of this technology— and what it might mean for you.

A self-driving car. The virtual assistant Alexa. Movies recommended for you on Disney+. What do these things have in common? They’re all powered by artificial intelligence, or AI. AI is a technology that allows computers and other machines to do tasks that usually require a human’s ability to think or learn.

In recent years, AI has become more powerful than ever. There are now AI-powered chatbots, like ChatGPT. These chatbots can have conversations that seem human. You can ask them to do all sorts of things. Tell a joke? Check. Write a song in the style of Taylor Swift? Check. Other AI tools can create images and art.

For some people, AI is exciting. They say it could be key to solving some of the world’s biggest problems. But 41 percent of Americans think that AI will do more harm than good.

What do you think?

Keep reading to explore the future of this technology— and what it might mean for you.

 You may not realize it, but you probably interact with AI every day. Autocorrect uses AI to fix typos in your texts. 

AI-powered photo filters can turn your face into a cartoon. And map apps rely on AI to help your parents avoid traffic on the way
to your friend’s birthday party. 

But many experts say there’s way more that AI can do—and that’s amazing. Think about it this way: AI is kind of like a computer brain. It learns by taking in huge amounts of information, just like you do. The difference is it can sort through all that information—and use it to solve problems or make decisions—much faster, within seconds. 

Some say that AI is not something to be feared. It’s a brilliant technology that can make our world better.

You may not realize it, but you probably deal with AI every day. Autocorrect uses AI to fix typos in your texts. AI-powered photo filters can turn your face into a cartoon. And map apps rely on AI to help your parents avoid traffic on the way to your friend’s birthday party.

But many experts say there’s way more that AI can do. And that’s amazing. AI is kind of like a computer brain. It learns by taking in huge amounts of information—just like you do. The difference is it can sort through and act on all that information much faster. It can do this within seconds.

Some say that AI should not be feared. It’s a brilliant technology that can make our world better.

Already, AI is making a difference inpeople’s lives—and not just by fixing typosor making trips shorter. New AI tools help blind people “see” by describing their surroundings. They help people who speak different languages talk to each other faster than ever. They even help scientists design new parts for spaceships.

“AI is becoming helpful in almost every aspect of our lives,” says AI expert Hod Lipson. 

Some say that AI will help people do their jobs more effectively. One of the most exciting examples of this might happen at the doctor’s office. AI could quickly sift through hundreds of test results when you’re sick. This will help your doctor more easily figure out what’s wrong. AI could also take notes on your visit. That way your doctor can pay more attention
to you. 

You probably won’t be seeinga robot doctor anytime soon. But AI tools might help your human doctor give you better care.

Already, AI is making a difference in people’s lives. And it’s doing this not just by fixing typos or making trips shorter. New AI tools help blind people “see” by describing their surroundings. They help people who speak different languages talk to each other faster than ever. They even help scientists design new parts for spaceships.

“AI is becoming helpful in almost every aspect of our lives,” says AI expert Hod Lipson.

Some say that AI will help people do their jobs better. An exciting example of this might happen at the doctor’s office. AI could quickly sort through hundreds of test results when you’re sick. This will help your doctor figure out what’s wrong. AI could also take notes on your visit. That way, your doctor can pay more attention to you.

You probably won’t be seeing a robot doctor soon. But AI tools might help your human doctor give you better care.

It’s not surprising that some people are skeptical of AI. If you look back at some of the most groundbreaking inventions, you’ll see that fear of them is nothing new. 

Take written language. In ancient Greece, some thinkers worried that learning to write would weaken people’s minds because they would no longer have to remember everything. Then there is the telephone. When it was introduced in the 1870s, some people thought it would end written communication. And in the 1930s, some feared radios would keep children from sleeping well at night. 

Of course, none of these fears came true. Like pens, phones, and radios, AI is just a tool—and it’s up to us to use that tool wisely. So who knows what the future of AI could look like? Will it help predict earthquakes? End world hunger? Or even just help you pick out the perfect outfit for the first day
of school?

Right now, the possibilities are endless. 

It’s not surprising that some people aren’t sure about AI. Look back at some of the most groundbreaking inventions. You’ll see that fear of them is nothing new.

Take written language. In ancient Greece, some thinkers worried about it. Learning to write meant that people would no longer have to remember everything. They were concerned this would weaken people’s minds. Then there is the telephone. It was introduced in the 1870s. Some people thought it would end written communication. In the 1930s, people feared radios would keep children from sleeping well at night.

Of course, none of these fears came true. Like pens, phones, and radios, AI is just a tool. And it’s up to us to use that tool wisely. So who knows what the future of AI could look like? Will it help predict earthquakes? End world hunger? Or even just help you pick out the perfect outfit for school?

Right now, the possibilities seem endless. 

Imagine this: You’re home reading a book. Suddenly, your older sister bursts in. She shows you a video of the U.S. president she found on social media. The president is saying the country is under attack by aliens.

Then you both see another video. This time, the president is telling you the first video was a fake. In both videos, the president looks exactly the same. What’s real? What’s fake? It’s impossible to tell.

This might sound like the plot of a sci-fi movie. But it could soon be our reality. AI tools can already create fake photos and videos that look real. They can also help these images spread quickly. 

The problem isn’t just the technology, though. It’s also the people who use it. Some experts say we can’t stop everyone with bad intentions from using AI to do harm. They wonder: Are we ready for the dark side of AI?

Imagine this. You’re home reading a book. Suddenly, your older sister bursts in. She shows you a video of the U.S. president she found on social media. The president is saying the country is under attack by aliens.

Then you both see another video. This time, the president is telling you the first video was a fake. In both videos, the president looks exactly the same. What’s real? What’s fake? It’s impossible to tell.

This might sound like the plot of a sci-fi movie. But it could soon be our reality. AI tools can already create fake photos and videos that look real. They can also help these images spread quickly. 

The problem isn’t just the technology, though. It’s also the people who use it. Some experts say we can’t stop everyone with bad intentions from using AI to do harm. They wonder: Are we ready for the dark side of AI?

The fact that AI can do so many of the things humans can do might not be something to celebrate. Some experts say that 12 million people in the U.S. may need to change jobs by 2030. That’s because AI could replace them.

Even if AI didn’t threaten jobs, it could still be a problem. It’s incredible that it takes chatbots like ChatGPT only seconds to write an email
or summarize an entire book. But some people fear that if we start turning to AI for tasks like these, we won’t know how to do them ourselves. 

Already, some students are using AI to complete school assignments. In the last school year, 63 percent of middle school and high school teachers said that students had gotten into trouble for using AI to do their schoolwork. Some people worry AI will make it easier than ever for students to cheat—and keep them from learning.

I can do so many things humans can do. But that might not be something to celebrate. Some experts say that 12 million people in the U.S. may need to change jobs by 2030. That’s because AI could replace them.

Even if AI didn’t threaten jobs, it could still be a problem. It takes chatbots only seconds to write an email or summarize an entire book. But some people are concerned about our turning to AI for tasks like these. They fear that we won’t know how to do them ourselves.

Already, some students are using AI to complete school assignments. In the last school year, 63 percent of middle school and high school teachers said that students had gotten into trouble for using AI to do their schoolwork. Some people worry AI will make it easier for students to cheat. This could keep them from learning.

Another concern is that AI can get things wrong. AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT learn by analyzing text—like books or news stories—from the internet. But not everything on the internet is true or correct. Some information may even be offensive. That means a chatbot’s response could contain wrong information or harmful ideas. 

What’s more, if AI doesn’t know the answer to a question, it may make something up. In 2023, a lawyer used ChatGPT to write a document for a judge. It turned out that the document mentioned some information that was completely false! The lawyer lost his job. 

It’s true that no one can be sure where AI will take us. But even the leaders of the biggest AI companies in the country have warned that it may cause serious problems. Some argue that we need to pause working on AI until we understand it better.

So the question is, if there is a chance that AI may be dangerous, is it really worth the risk?

Another concern is that AI can get things wrong. AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT learn from the internet. They do this by analyzing online text, like books or news stories. But not everything on the internet is true or correct. Some information may even be offensive. That means a chatbot could provide wrong information or harmful ideas.

What’s more, if AI doesn’t know the answer to a question, it may make something up. In 2023, a lawyer used ChatGPT to write a document for a judge. But the document included some information that was completely false! The lawyer lost his job.

It’s true that no one can be sure where AI will take us. But even the leaders of the biggest AI companies in the country have concerns. They warn that it could cause serious problems. Some argue that we need to pause working on AI until we understand it better.

So here’s the question. If there is a chance that AI could be dangerous, is it really worth the risk?