Weighing the rise of AI and its impact on society

YARDEN JAMIR | MOKOKCHUNG | 14 MAY

In recent years, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly increased across various industries. AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we live, work, and communicate, but it also raises concerns about the impact it may have on society.

AI is a form of technology that can learn from data and make decisions based on that information. It can automate tasks, analyze complex data, and make predictions with high accuracy.

However, there are also concerns about the impact of AI on society. One concern is the potential for job displacement. As AI can automate tasks that were previously done by humans, there is a fear that it may lead to job losses in some industries.

According to Atoba Longkumer, Founder-Director of Tabernacle Technologies Pvt Ltd, there have been instances in Nagaland where some people have felt the impact of the rise of AI. He said that some of his friends who work in the field of content creation or in the creativity field have seen reduction of clients due to the rise of AI.

Longkumer stated that AI has been replacing technical talents. He said that with the help of AI, one can create a whole website without any technical knowledge.

However, he said that there are some skills which AI cannot replace. He said that Nagas are socially very intelligent and very good at social skills with the ability to communicate with people across the world due to their proficiency in the English language which according to him “will safeguard us from AI.”

Stating that AI is only at its initial stage, he said that with the rate that it is going, “we’ll see a lot of changes by the end of the year.”

Longkumer held that AI can never replace humans and that one must learn how to leverage the technology to improve one’s skills. He further asserted that schools need to introduce in their curriculums on how to use AI and teach students to use the technology ethically.

“Whenever a new technology comes, it always creates new jobs, but the old jobs will become redundant,” he said.

Another concern is the potential for bias in AI decision-making. If AI algorithms are trained on biased data, they may produce biased results, which could have negative implications for certain groups of people.

Supong Kichu, Senior Engineer for Microsoft LinkedIn, said that the AI today lacks decision making, cannot differentiate if it is culturally or intellectually biased, and it lacks empathy as well as consciousness.

Kichu said that in context to our society, the potential impact on employment will not be much “as we are mostly based on government employment.” However, he said that AI now has a huge potential for people in the creativity field or in content creation to become very good at expressing their creativity.

He also said that with the help of AI tools like ChatGPT, the access to information has become instant like never before. This will be very beneficial for students preparing for competitive exams, he added.

“The rise of AI may not impact our society now but it is slowly replacing jobs in other places so youngsters need to learn new skills with the help of AI,” Kichu said. In the field of engineering, there is a new topic called ‘Prompt Engineering’ which is aimed at learning how to communicate with AI or give the right prompt to get the desired response from the AI, he explained.

“If only you’re interested, there is nothing that stops us,” he declared. “One should only know how to access the information and make use of it,” he added.

As AI continues to rise in prominence, it is important for individuals and businesses alike to stay informed and take proactive steps to adapt to this new technological landscape.

According to recent studies, the global AI market is projected to grow from $515.31 billion in 2023 to $2,025.12 billion by 2030. Despite concerns, the rise of AI is inevitable, and it is a significant development that has the potential to bring many benefits to society. However, it is essential to address the concerns surrounding its impact to ensure that AI is used in a responsible and ethical manner that benefits our society and economy.