ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION AND PLANNING FOR THE IMPACT

OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Ashley North
BIS 340: Artificial Intelligence: The Human Side
Bill Erwin
4/3/21

Total Word Count: 1573 words

What Level of Awareness Exists?

I’ve found that artificial intelligence is a complex term when discussed in casual

conversation. In brief, Artificial intelligence is a system able to learn directly from data.

This is made possible through data analytics which is applied in one of two ways. One is

with the use of evolving rules which are set by human intervention within the system. A

good example of this type of AI would be automation. Automation which can be either

automated or autonomous is the use of robotic equipment to manufacture goods. The

second approach diminishes human intervention by way of machine learning. Machine

learning is the system's capacity to expand its abilities to process and use information.

Rainer Bischoff, the lead researcher for Kuka, a dominating manufacturing company for

industrial robots, presented an excellent example with its new generation robot. The

robot was given a task to sort building blocks. With the use of machine learning, the

robot eventually developed a recognition for the shapes giving it the ability to sort the

building blocks (Economist, 2019). Taking AI, a step further is deep learning. Deep

learning leverages the computational advantages of AI and machine learning. In

addition, deep learning takes on new techniques to learn and make sense of larger

amounts of data (Newsroom, 2016). These “programs can now do a better job than

humans at identifying faces, recognizing speech, and issuing loans'' (Yang, 2018, pg.

5). AlphaGo is a perfect example of deep learning. Developed by Google, AlphaGo

it is apparent that it will have an economic/political, sociological, and psychological

impact; therefore, we need to wake up and identify our awareness as well as the risks

associated with its movement.

I’ve learned that AI is not something to fear but rather embrace. In conducting

interviews it's come to my attention that many are less informed and more worried about

the future AI holds. The majority were bewildered by its convoluted meaning. A couple

referred to movies such as i, Robot, Archive, or Ex Machina. It seemed many are

concerned about the industry and its direction yet lacked interest in gaining knowledge

or insight. As kai-Fu Lee pointed out in AI Superpowers when former “President Barack

Obama’s White House released a long-brewing plan for how the United States would

harness the power of artificial intelligence . . . [the] report barely registered in the

American news cycle” (pg. 97- pg.98). Unlike China, America is unprepared and

unaware of the changes and challenges ahead. America as a whole is lackluster in

regard to AI innovation and entrepreneurship. Max Tegmark said it well at the official

TED conference (2018), “if we just bumble into this unprepared, it will probably be the

biggest mistake in human history . . . It could enable brutal global dictatorship with

unprecedented inequality, surveillance and suffering, and maybe even human

extinction”. Thus, we must prepare for what is to come by enabling guidance and

empowerment through the use of AI to build a new era of technology.

The Economic/Political Impact of AI

Through further development, artificial intelligence is bound to have a major

economic and political impact. According to Kai-Fu Lee (2018), “based on the current
trends in technology advancement and adoption, I predict that within fifteen years,

artificial intelligence will technically be able to replace around 40 to 50 percent of jobs in

the United States” (pg. 19). For example, with automation on the rise, it is presumed

that millions of Americans who make a living driving a vehicle will lose their job within

roughly a decade (Yang, 2018). Coinciding with the growth of AI and the loss of jobs,

there is an increased number of students studying finance and technology. As stated in

The War on Normal People, by Andrew Yang (2018), declared that “Stanford students

majoring in the humanities has plummeted from over 20 percent to only 7 percent in

2016, prompting panic among history and English departments, whose once-popular

classes no longer have students (pg.86) Are they facing job loss as well? With the

acceleration of artificial intelligence, we potentially face “political collapse stemming

from widespread unemployment and gaping inequality” (Lee, 2018, pg. 21). While job

replacement is inevitable, many organizations have shown an increase in productivity

with the use of automation. It seems that increasing organizational productivity

undoubtedly leads to a surplus in both sales and jobs. Therefore, the goal is to

collaborate with technology to create more efficient organizations and a lucrative

economy. 

The Sociological Impact of AI

As AI advances, it is bound to make an extensive social impact on not only

organizations but its employees. To ensure organizational growth and success,

organizations might take on new technology to monitor their employee’s productivity.

Thus, Productivity within organizations will be more essential than ever. According to

The Economist (2019), Humanyze, a firm in Boston, Massachusetts developed a

than 10,000 employees worldwide, the Humanyze badge is built with multiple sensors,

Bluetooth, motion sensors, and microphones. Altogether the badge can monitor

conversations, movement, and overall activity level (Economist, 2018). Collecting this

quantitative data enables leaders to optimize work experience. While these badges

provide useful feedback on team interactions and productivity levels, is this considered

an invasion of privacy? Is this something to consider bring into the office to produce

more produce environments?

As organizations progress with AI, more jobs are becoming available that allow

remote working. In moving away from working inside the office we are seeing a growth

in digital nomads, coworking spaces, and communal living. Companies such as Roam

cater to individuals seeking communal living and coworking spaces. Roam provides

these hard workers with relaxation areas, meeting rooms, and a cocktail bar. According

to The Harvard Business Review, most individuals working in this environment are

happier, more engaged, and more productive (Economist, 2019). Many digital nomads

have found this lifestyle exciting and don’t see themselves returning to the typical nine-

to-five job. While they do not view their travels as vacation, rather another destination to

work, these individuals become more culturally aware as they venture the globe. This

allows employees a sense of flexibility and freedom.

The Psychological Impact of AI

AI will inevitably have a large psychological impact for a couple of reasons.  According

to Access Prosthetics (2017), roughly 30% of individuals who experience limb loss

experience anxiety and/or depression every year are. There are approximately 2.1
million individuals in America who currently live with the loss of a limb. It is anticipated

that number will double by the year 2050 (“15 limb loss statistics that may surprise you”,

2019). Hugh Herr, Head of Biomechanics Group at Boston’s, Massachusetts Institute of

Technology, is the pioneer of intelligent prosthetics, and an amputee himself.

Developing limbs with numerous motors, sensors, and computers, these prosthetics can

receive sensory information and run algorithms. In connecting According to Hugh, this

enables biomechanical needs through the measurement of position, acceleration,

speed, and even temperature (Wolff & Yogeshwar, 2020). In using the technology Herr

has developed, he is no longer limited by his physical abilities. Herr stated, “if you

remove the technology from my body, I’m severely disabled. I’m crippled. But with the

technology, in this sophisticated human-machine interaction, I am freed from the

shackles of disability” (Wolff & Yogeshwar, 2020). Herr and his team are working on

connecting synthetic limbs to the human brain and nervous system. Soon enough an

individual will be able to send commends as well as sense its position and sensation as

though it were a part of the body. Bridging the gap between body and machine, Herr

has the potential to change millions of lives through the use of AI.

AI will continue to flourish leaving many to face the burden of unemployment.

Loss of determination and purpose can lead to depression which leads to two options,

seeking help or self-medicating. In a world surrounded by over the counters medication

and mediocre therapy sessions, many individuals find relief in alcohol abuse, opioid

overdose, and suicide (Lee, 2018). Andy Blackwell suggests that AI is capable of

improving the mental health field. Through the use of AI’s deep neural networks,

therapists can detect expressed language in sessions which produces a fingerprint or

analyze the time spent greeting, chit-chatting, or responding to the patient. It is also able

to tell when therapists utilize structured techniques. In return for using this technology,

therapists can reflect on the session and improve their methods. In improving mental

health across the world, we can potentially decrease the mortality rate while advancing

with AI.  The potential for the health and wellness industry is unprecedented with the

use of AI.

Conclusion

All in all, artificial intelligence is not something we can escape, nor is it something

to be feared. It’s time we awaken to what is coming and alter our organization

accordingly. As AI rapidly advances, it is apparent that it will have an economic/political,

sociological, and psychological impact; therefore, we need to wake up and identify our

awareness as well as the risks associated with its movement. By gaining insight and

knowledge about the advancements in technology, we can gain a cutting edge in the

industry. In being conscious of these adjustments, we can ease pressure while

modifying and improving techniques. 

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Lee, K. (2018). AI superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the new world order. Boston,

MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

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