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How AI Is Taking Over Everything.

Posted on 29th April 2023

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Show all posts in this thread (AI and Robotics).

I was having a conversation recently with someone who is the head of a large kindergarten. It was during the annual teacher-parent conference season, during which teachers have to prepare a document detailing each child's performance, highlighting any problems that need attention; there is then a meeting between the teachers and parents to discus the child's progress and problems. This year there were a number of problems, including plagiarism by some of the teachers, bad news being delivered in extremely undiplomatic language, and conference documents missing vital information that needed to be addressed by the parents. The boss of the kindergarten head suggested that it be investigated whether the conferences could be written by ChatGPT instead of by the teachers. I feel that this is a slippery slope; the ability to write these conference documents is a basic part of the teachers' jobs, and if they can't do it to an acceptable standard, they shouldn't be teaching.

Since then I was watching an episode of Bill Maher's Real Time, and heard how a university professor told his students that he knew they were using ChatGPT to wite the essays and assignments, and that they should realise that he was also using ChatGPT to mark/grade them. So, no human in the loop.

There are more examples of humans being removed from transactions:

  • Resumés (CVs) and job application letters are being written by AI (you can easily find advertisements for this service); at the same time, companies are using AI to screen and shortlist applications; humans are only involved in the selection of employees once interviews begin. This report on the BBC has more details.
  • This report on the BBC describes how a student in York used an AI chatbot to contest a wrongly issued parking fine; I find it shocking that a student felt it necessary to turn to AI for this, since presumably she has to write essays as part of her studies.
  • This article on NewsChain reports the statement by the UK's new Secretary of State for Science, Michelle Donelan, that AI like ChatGPT could have "a role in Whitehall". I shudder to think what kind of role or roles she has in mind: writing legislation? That would be a major step towards humans being ruled by AI.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk continues to try to warn the world about the dangers of AI, and suggests that we take a pause in the development of AI, according to this report on Reuters. Well, good luck with that idea; the genie is already out of the bottle. Also, the world is not listening; company greed trumps common sense and caution every time.

Just to prove Elon Musk right, this article on Science Focus reports on robots, created by AI from living tissue, which can reproduce! We are all doomed.