Deconstructing the Hype
Artificial Intelligence (AI) sparks media and scholarly attention as the technology claims to be a revolutionary phenomenon that fundamentally changes people’s lives in major spheres. Indeed, AI has introduced unique innovations while benefiting industries with cost-effective solutions. The article mentions that the technology allows e-commerce to hyperpersonalize its services, and AI applications in healthcare further empower professionals in developing proactive preventive methodologies to save people’s lives. However, most publications rarely mention the harmful effects of AI on humanity, prompting a critical reassessment of the highly positive expectations from these tools.
AI Is Turning Into a Tech Bubble
According to research, the AI hype negatively impacts technology and society by creating a financially unsustainable growth of technological assets. Specifically, this phenomenon indicates a tremendous gap between the enthusiasm shared by enterprises and engineers and the actual stage of AI development. The possible outcomes are similar to previous tech bubbles, namely cryptocurrency, telecom, and dot-com, which exemplify how technologies can become wasteful and destructive. Such products as ChatGPT also introduced an unrealistic and altered perception of its capabilities. However, the financial risks and inorganic increase of public interest in these instruments result in even worse effects.
Ethical and Biological Theories
The mentioned challenges center mostly on economic considerations, while a limited number of articles focus on AI implications for humans. Theories like technological singularity assume that computer intelligence will surpass human intelligence, leading to different hypothetical scenarios. In this regard, society will lose control over AI-driven technologies, and the inability to frame or develop comprehensive ethical limitations on technology’s adoption supports this theory. Some hypotheses lack scientific support, though recent investigations discovered a negative impact of AI on how people reason and make decisions.
How Technology Impacts Cognitive Functions
The article by Eric Dolan mentions that AI tools like ChatGPT adversely affect cognitive functions by handling basic reasoning tasks. In turn, the technology is transforming into a cognitive prosthesis. This case does not limit itself to using services like ChatGPT in performing calculations or scheduling activities as people become dependent on using machines to perform complex cognitive functions. Individuals will fail to complete basic tasks, especially those that require creative thinking. For instance, the ongoing surge of AI generator services will have a devastating effect on future artists and engineers due to the discussed dependence on digital tools.
Exemplifying the AI Impact on Education
Students actively use ChatGPT for most assignments, especially essay writing. Indeed, the machine can generate a paper in a few seconds, saving time and effort. The problem, in turn, is the quality and originality of generated content, which can be spotted by experienced educators without using AI detector services. Students also lose the opportunity to comprehend the essentials of the educational process while nurturing creative skills by completing the assigned tasks. Cognitive skills are similar to muscles, and lack of exercise leads to muscle atrophy. Therefore, poor academic performance is a primary challenge for AI adoption in education.
A Business View: Implications for Entrepreneurs
The mentioned hype and educational challenges contribute to unethical reasoning among entrepreneurs. For instance, companies actively invest in services that strive to humanize AI content. This solution seems to be an acceptable way to save students’ grades, while the marketed products saturate the harmful effects mentioned in previous paragraphs. However, the main challenge will affect the quality of labor, which is the most devastating effect on entrepreneurs. From lack of creativity to poor performance, these effects will impact the overall productivity of teams or organizations. Popular AI generator services may create content with a minimum investment, though the brand will fail to differentiate itself from competitors who may use the same tools for their marketing purposes.
What Should Companies Understand About AI
The unethical use of AI has long-term consequences for most human spheres. ChatGPT is not a source of problems, though the lack of frameworks on AI use for different purposes contributes to the discussed issues. Enterprises have financial and marketing leverages to make a positive impact on AI development by promoting educational materials and fair use of these tools. The majority still do not understand what AI is, which will saturate the tech bubble effect in addition to unethical applications. However, the main issue is decreasing cognitive functions, and the lack of qualified experts will negatively impact the development of industries.
Closing Thoughts
The lack of ethical frameworks denotes the main problem besides the tech bubble effect. AI generator services may lose their relevance in the observable future, while related tech products will strive to survive the decline of mass popularity by switching to an ROI-based approach with practical implications of digital instruments. However, it is highly doubtful that the technological singularity will fully take effect over people’s lives, though society will experience the mentioned effects of misusing AI tools in the long-term perspective. Some processes are irreversible but the future of technologies is in the hands of their users.
