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The proliferation of artificial intelligence is everywhere. Nearly every commercial break, every website a person visits, and every app they use will include some discussion of artificial intelligence, how it is used, and the benefits it offers an individual. While AI has long been a goal of many in the field of computing and a mainstay in science fiction, the cultural saturation point seems to have passed us completely by and is now ever-present. But what does this mean for the average person? What can they do with it, how can it help them, and what does it mean for their careers, livelihoods, and sense of purpose in life? Who holds the leash on this technological movement, and how can we expect those who profit most from it to govern its use and adoption properly?
The author of this book lays bare the realities of the rampant rollout of artificial intelligence and its nature as a genie that, whether it promises to do what it claims to or not, cannot be put back in the bottle once set free. The classic arguments for or against its use in the workforce, medicine, logistics, and more are examined in rational detail here. Additionally, readers will see the various ways AI is poised to disrupt faith and romance, and even how it affects people's sense of why they exist. While the pervasiveness of its rollout unknowingly strips many people of their consent or choice as to whether or not to use it, the knowledge in this text will prepare people for the next steps and educate them on how they can prepare and what they can do to try to live in a world ready to make their skills and knowledge redundant.
Rather than simply focusing on the negative qualities of AI and the untrustworthy practices of the tech companies that sell it as a modern-day panacea for the online age, the book's presentation allows anyone, even those who know next to nothing about artificial intelligence, to follow along. Each chapter focuses on a single facet of life or the workplace, examining how the AI systems in place were developed, how they are currently used, and how they are planned to be used. In this way, the author does not deny or refute the useful ways in which it can be utilized, but proceeds to examine the ethics behind responsible use and application, pointing out the various ways in which current legislation, companies, and methodologies are failing to serve the public good. Ultimately, it is not a damnation of artificial intelligence as a concept or tool, but rather a demand for oversight and responsibility.
This approach is not for the sake of equal time or as a devil's advocate. Instead, it lays out a very clear message to its audience that as the gap between haves and have nots widen, and with the playing field opened in such a way that people can create websites, applications, or creative works without specialized skills or knowledge, the only way people can protect their usefulness is to be first to market. There is an urgency to this book that at times may sound like a countdown to doomsday, but it is more pragmatic and supportive than that. Those who read this book are not just prepared for the future but are also made aware of the present stakes and the steps they can take, using these very same tools if necessary, to keep themselves from being left without work or financial opportunities. Pragmatic and tempered, these essays do not turn a blind eye to the truth, nor do they throw their hands up in resignation. Instead, the book serves as an explanation of the rules we all play by now and a call to action to not wait for someone to come along and set everything back the way it used to be.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review