The Age of Artificial Intelligence. A concept that has been dreamed about in sci-fi films and novels for decades has finally arrived in recent years. But the use of AI has had its controversies as it has improved and become more accessible for the common person.

With the development and release of one of the most used AI services, ChatGPT, in Nov. 2022, the use of this type of technology has only increased in schools and everyday life. The most common, and the oldest, forms of AI are in the cell phones most people carry around every day: Siri or Google Assistant.

This era is very difficult to pinpoint the starting point at which AI was first introduced to the public. It can be estimated to be around 1966, when the first chatbot was released. Ever since then, AI has squirmed its way into everyday life.

The Cons of Artificial “Intelligence”

AI experts are “experts” for a reason. According to the Pew Research Center study “How the U.S. Public and AI Experts View Artificial Intelligence,” 56 percent of experts surveyed said that AI will have a positive impact on the U.S. However, some citizens said that AI will harm society. The public is more concerned than excited about AI having a major role in everyday life. The “experts” seem not to fully understand why the public dislikes AI so much.

One of the bigger, more concerning issues of the increase in AI is how it will affect the workforce. Many American workers, 64 percent, are worried that AI will lead to a decrease in job availability in the next 20 years. Some of the most affected job markets will be industries such as customer service, banking, and retail.

To expand on this, there are certain demographics of workers who are becoming the most “exposed” to AI in the job market. According to a Pew Research Center study in 2022, groups of workers such as those with higher education, women, Asian and White workers, and higher wage workers will be impacted the most. Typically, these are jobs that deal with data collection or analytics.

Another issue arising is the impact of the younger generations’ use of AI in schools. AI has been described as taking away students’ imagination and creativity when it comes to being able to think on their own. According to a report from the Center for Democracy and Technology, 70 percent of teachers are concerned that students are losing their critical thinking and research skills because they are relying on AI.

This issue has become so pressing that there is a huge debate between parents and teachers on the usage of this technology in schools. The report said that 72 percent of parents with children in school agree that the parental figures should have the ability to opt their children out of the use of AI tools in class. That statistic is a drastic difference from the 43 percent of teachers who agree with that statement.

Teacher at Rancho Cucamonga High School, Ms. Rebecca Guerrero, said that AI in schools can “replace thinking” in students. She said that when someone goes to search something, she has found that the AI answers will be misinformed and incorrect. This shows how AI in search engines can lead to misinformation and seep into a student’s mind. They become reliant on a quick feed of information because they don’t want to do it themselves.

“I’ve looked up things I know the answer to, but it has not given me an accurate answer,” Guerrero said. “I think that should give us pause for concern. It tells us not just answers, but it tells us what to think about.”

Facial recognition, fingerprints, passwords, emails, phone numbers. All of these forms of data have somehow been in the hands of AI. Most people don’t realize that when they give their information to websites and apps that there is most likely an AI data system out there handling it.

According to a Pew Research Center study, nearly 6 out of 10 Americans do not check the privacy terms of websites they sign up for. This can lead to the unknowing release of your information to AI. There are many risks that come with this exposure.

A lack of security in any information can lead to it being stolen by unauthorized individuals. The use of AI makes this a bigger problem than before. These systems have a history of being vulnerable to cyberattacks, which can make it easier to release unauthorized information.

When dealing with a person’s search history, AI systems on search engines like Google can lead to inaccurate information when answering a prompt. For example, when someone asks Google if they are going to die from a sickness and the AI overview says no, it could actually be inaccurate, and now the individual will never know.

The reliability of AI is not great, although the average person puts so much trust into AI that these problems will likely never be recognized.

The Pros of Artificial Intelligence

There is always a light in the darkness. This new yet tired era of AI may have its long list of negatives, but there are plenty of positives that have come with it.

Despite popular belief, AI has made many improvements to efficiency and productivity. This has been seen mainly in factories and other industries where people perform monotonous tasks. It makes these processes go by much faster and easier by having new, innovative machines take the jobs.

This change has made it easier for people who tend to work in these jobs to switch to newer, more complex jobs. These are jobs that AI cannot yet perform. According to an article published in Vanguard, Joe Davis argues that this increase in productivity has aided the American economy significantly since the late 1990s.

On top of this, life at home has been improved by AI. Virtual assistants at home have made daily tasks easier. They’re programmed to adapt to the user and please them as well as support them. They can handle personal calendars, organizing lists, and scheduling appointments.

Senior Miranda Brambila says that AI can improve life at home for students when it comes to needing academic support. She said that sometimes the only resource you have left is AI, and it can help you solve a math equation that you don’t know how to do.

Brambila also, however, warned against the increasing reliance on AI in this aspect. She described the use of this technology as a “double-edged sword.”

“Sometimes AI can be the best resource because it could give you a step-by-step for your specific equation that you might not find anywhere else,” Brambila said. “But at the same time, it’s building that habit of having a reliance on AI, so I think it’s a double-edged sword.”

Guerrero shared that she believes that it is perceivably alright that AI has taken over mundane jobs. It makes room for new jobs to be created to ensure that the unemployed people can find a job again.

“There’s always a new technology, always results temporarily in a loss of jobs, and new jobs are created,” Guerrero said.

Contrary to its negative use in schools, some students believe that AI can be beneficial academically. Sophomore Ilia Shojaei is one among a perceivable many that support the use of AI in school. Shojaei said that it had helped him in the past to cram for tests by giving him quick reviews for the lessons to aid in studying.

“I’m very pro using AI for school,” Shojaei said. “It can aid a student’s learning in many ways, like acting like a secondary teacher when you don’t have access to [a teacher]. It can compile information very quickly and help review for tests.”

Studying can be made much more efficient and easier if AI is used correctly, according to Shojaei. Despite a majority of teachers not supporting irresponsible use, there can be responsible ways to use AI assistants when it comes to school.

“Your scientists got so excited about what they could do, they didn’t stop to think about if they should,” Guerrero said, paraphrasing Dr. Ian Malcolm from “Jurassic Park.”

This new age of technology has been taking the world by storm. Whether one thinks that it has benefited us or harmed us, AI is here and it is here to stay. It’s up to the individual to make it a good or bad thing for the world.