Worries and optimist have run rampant with the rise of Artificial Intelligence. Half the country believes the technology is going to become sentient, and kill humans, while the other half believes it is the newest wave to saving money and cutting human jobs. Combine that with the media hype presented with it, and we have essentially blown a huge AI bubble.
Billions have been invested in the technology, with hopes it will become a massive improvement to the workforce, and daily life. However, the old mainstay called reality is beginning to settle into the hearts and minds of people. AI really hit a big wall during the August 5th mini-crash of the stock market, with many AI-invested technology companies seeing huge hits. Chip company Nvidia lost over one trillion dollars in valuation, around 30 percent of the total.
The needle is starting to poke the bubble a bit, and Auguste Mayrat of The Federalist says people are just starting to see the facts.
"It is just not doing all the things people say it is, and really, it just comes down to people misunderstanding what artificial intelligence actually is, or what is does," he says.
The idea from businesses is that AI will help them save time and money, potentially just automating tasks in place of a salaried employee. But AI does have its limitations.
It is not just basic things either, it is a fundamentally flawed idea to an extend because it is human generated, leaving it open to error.
"It is not making decisions, it is not autonomous...you have to program it like anything else," he says. "That is the problem with some businesses...they get AI software with hopes it will replace people...it really can't, it still needs someone operating it."
As much as AI can help with some tasks, you just cannot replace an employee with a machine and expect it to yield positive results in the long run, even if it can self-learn.
In addition, as we do with any technology, there is a risk of overdependence. For example, people today are overly dependent on their smart phones. Directions, math, and just about anything under the sun. AI will be the same, as kids have already begun abusing it in school to do their work for them.
We can expect to see that start happening in major professions, too, as time moves forward.
"You will start to see lawyers who are trained as part of their course work, to use AI...same thing with doctors, and other professionals," he says.
The full power of AI has yet to be seen. But, as of now, the bubble of opportunity is beginning to feel pressure, as the reality of how far is has to go becomes a reality.