We’re seeing excitement and a growing concern with the growth of Artificial Intelligence and what it might mean for us on a personal and global scale.
We’ve invited fledgling AI into our homes with Google’s Home and Amazon’s Echo (“Alexa, open the pod bay doors.”). And, in another household, Mark Zuckerberg spent 2016 creating his personal “Jarvis” robo-butler which he unveiled to great interest and positive acclaim at the end of the year.
Encouragingly, there are business people, such as Kate Crawford of Microsoft Research and AI Now, and educational institutions including Harvard and MIT stepping up to create groups to watchdog AI development and make sure that AI use doesn’t get out of control.
As with any life-altering technology, there are dreams and fears, pros and cons. And it’s good to be aware and keep an eye—a human eye—on both sides to make sure that human interests outweigh artificial ones.
Today’s good news is that humans are still needed more than ever (yay, us!) And humans that specialize in IT are especially in demand to support current technology and create the technology of the future.
So, as far as we’re concerned, the view from today is as bright as ever. Bring on the AI, we can handle it.
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