Is artificial intelligence a blessing or a curse?

A few days ago, I came across an article that left me in a state of excitement and sadness. Picture this: the CEO of a tech giant decided to halt hiring thousands in favor of harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to boost operational efficiency. As an AI developer, this news sparked excitement about the technological leaps that AI is making. Yet, on the flip side, this news paints a grim picture—over 7800 people losing livelihoods, the ripple effect on families, and an economy left reeling cannot be over-emphasized. Such stories reveal the complex dance between AI’s promise and peril.

A few days later, I had let my hair down and was having dinner with a new found friend hoping not to talk anything about technology. However, they slotted in a narrative of an encounter they had with a global university’ department fixated on existential threats: pandemics, climate change, nuclear arms, and a newcomer—Artificial Intelligence. This evoked memories of Toby Ord’s book, “The Precipice,” wherein he quantifies existential risks. Alarming is the notion that AI’s threat to humanity may eclipse climate change, pandemics, and even nuclear warfare combined.

This rollercoaster of thoughts unravels biases. As a technology enthusiast, my focus often leaned towards AI’s potential, downplaying its prospective hazards. A study by Tech Crunch found that 70% of AI developers prioritize technological progress over ethics. This has prompted my reflection on AI’s existential threat, particularly the job displacement aspect, steering away from the algorithmic intricacies.

AI is not just jargon—it is reshaping our daily lives. Harvard University recently rolled out AI professors that offer 24/7 support to students in the computer science module CS50, aiding education’s evolution. Meanwhile, England’s £21 million fund is set to propel AI-driven medical diagnoses. Google’s AI can predict cardiovascular risks and diabetes by simply analyzing the human eye.  Eyes have a back interior wall that contains many blood vessels reflecting a person’s overall health. Even wheelchairs have become AI-enabled, empowering users through neural signals, revolutionizing accessibility.

In case the aforementioned examples seem too far to relate to, let me tell you what I have done with AI myself. Using satellite imagery paired with AI, I developed models to predict crop yields for maize and sorghum, forestalling famine in Uganda. And ever wondered how social media serves tailor-made content? AI’s fingerprints are all over targeted marketing. In finance, AI crafts credit profiles and determines borrowers’ reliability.

Autonomous vehicles are AI’s playground, with Tesla’s autopilot paving the way. The list of AI’s daily life applications is endless, painting a vivid tapestry of change. We could do a back-to-back entry of all these examples in this paper.

Yet, sophistication sparks concerns hence the emergent AI safety movement and the addition of AI as one of the existential threats to humanity.  Some critics call the AI safety movement unscientific as the claims about existential risk sound more sensational and closer to religion. Some schools of thought obsess more over one kind of catastrophe. However, AI’s potential as a weapon of mass-destruction looms, along with worries of job loss, unchecked superintelligence, surveillance, and privacy invasion. For today, let us focus on jobs.

AI automates tasks—manufacturing, logistics, customer service, blue-collar jobs are hit hard. Shenzen’s factories in China showcase this shift, as robots replace manual labor. But it’s not just physical labor; AI’s reach extends to content creation, data analysis—white-collar realms feel the tremors too. The specter of job loss looms large.

However, there’s a silver lining: jobs will evolve, not vanish. As digital media replaced print, new careers emerged. Reskilling and upskilling are key—technology is an enabler, not a usurper. Fields like medicine, teaching, and finance will thrive if we integrate new skills with the old.

Emotional intelligence, creativity, critical thinking, negotiation—are uniquely human, areas where AI can’t compete with human beings. The job landscape will shift, but humanity’s essence remains unreplaceable.

Wondering then what future jobs will look like? Envision job boards brimming with titles like social media anthropologists, surgical AI technicians, robotics designers etc. The message is clear: jobs will persist if we adapt.

In navigating AI’s winds of change, ethical considerations reign. The United Nations eyes a new body to oversee AI’s governance, akin to international agencies overseeing atomic energy and aviation. In the Vatican, Pope Francis and his associates may not seem like an obvious choice to weigh in on AI, but they did; they just released the Vatican’s AI ethics handbook. In Ghana and Rwanda, there are ongoing open conversations around AI policies by policy makers and the legislature.

In the end, AI’s a double-edged sword, reshaping how we work, live, and even govern. The revolution is unstoppable, because nobody can stop an idea whose hour has come. As the slain iconic South African musician, Lucky Dube would sing in his powerful voice, “Nobody can stop reggae”. Nobody can stop AI. The verdict is clear: AI’s threat is real, particularly for jobs. But the antidote lies in reskilling, up skilling, and embracing AI’s potential with humanity’s values intact.

I know that I did not define AI early on as the norm would be in writing about an alien subject like this one. The reason is simple; I wanted to be disruptive, suspecting that the drivers of the sensationalism underlining the view that AI is an existential threat to humanity could actually be mirroring the fear of change. I believe that embracing a disruptive mindset is the key to unlocking the doors of change, shattering old paradigms, and forging new paths that lead to transformative shifts. So let us embrace AI. It is here to stay. Ignore it at your own peril.

And so, herewith a simple definition of Artificial Intelligence to part with before the benediction- AI is an 80-year-old branch of computer science through which computers are taught to think, learn and make decisions on their own, solve problems and do tasks like human beings.

Onto our benediction- may you venture boldly into the realm of Artificial Intelligence, unearthing its treasures of insight and efficiency without a byte of fear. As you reskill and up skill, may your journey be marked by resilience and curiosity, driving away any shadows of uncertainty. May you be shielded from any potential storm that threatens your existence. May AI remain a beacon of progress rather than a specter of apprehension. Let all the faithful rise!