AI, finding information, and surviving

There is a vast amount of hype surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and its applications. And there are valid concerns about the use of AI and its negative impact on our society. Like the long lineage of communication technologies that have preceded AI, human beings will use it–some for good (or at least with good intentions) and some to further crime, greed, corruption, and to gain power at the expense of others. These latter folk are often those who shout the loudest.

All communication technologies are based–at the core–on the body of information they manipulate, process, broadcast, send on, post, etc. If that base information is biased, irrelevant, propaganda, and/or just plain garbage, the product of the technology won’t be any better. Yes, it may look more impressive formatted on a screen, but the essence of the information (being helpful, answering a question, providing solace, leading to a decision, etc.) won’t be any different than the biases or irrelevance or propaganda or garbage from which it came.

Artificial intelligence agents trained on Large Language Models are at the mercy of those models. The biases, the inaccuracies, the lies, the distortions count just as much as the thoughtful, the well-researched, the proven facts, and the objective, balanced accounts. The old saying–“garbage in, garbage out“–may have been written for AI.

But, AI agents trained on sets of data that are valid, accurate, reviewed–in other words, curated–can be useful. If the base information is good, the information coming through the agent can also be good.

And that’s no different than it has always been.

The technology may be new(er), but the underlying principle remains the same.

Technology changes much more rapidly than do human beings. We are social animals, somewhat gullible, and open to manipulation if we are not vigilant especially by messages that prey on our existing beliefs. The algorithms that run social media are often constructed for that very purpose. AI agents and bots will only make their impact greater.

Is there no hope for humans against artificial intelligence and the greed and invasiveness of social media?

Of course there is; the answers are not easy, they never are. It takes effort and, in our world, it is so easy to give in to the technology.

*Use technology (not just AI) as a tool–not as a lifestyle. Your smart phone can be just a phone, a communication device; it does not have to consume your life.

*Be willing to dig in and do some work, be brave enough to break the bubbles/boundaries created by social media algorithms and uncurated AI agents; the reward is that knowledge is power, and understanding provides respite from fear:

Knowledge and understanding can overcome fear and anxiety

Understand the context of information important to you; reduce the fear and anxiety

*And remember that your phone, your computer, your tablet all have buttons and slides and other ways to turn them off. Do it. They don’t have to be the most important things in your life 24 hours a day.

Follow the story at Artificial Intelligence and Education.

Questions? Please let me know (engelk@grinnell.edu).