The innovation and uses of AI have had many widespread reactions. Is AI the key to a company’s transformation, or does AI sever connections on a personal level? The answer to this question is entirely dependent on the industry AI services are used in, and the tasks they are used for.
In cybersecurity conferences, the word “disruption” is extremely prevalent. Disruption is defined as a disturbance causing an interruption to a process. Envision this scenario: If one defines a company by a central product, their ability to innovate will vanish, and they consequently fall within the limitations of said central product. Companies that center themselves around a certain set of core values permit innovation to prosper beyond one item. AI’s forms have evolved so much that some believe it is mandatory to use AI in some component of a business or startup to not fall behind. AI is intended to work not as a replacement for human capabilities, but rather as a tool that can be refined and adapted in a vast array of ways.
However, there are concerns about the use of AI in certain fields, such as healthcare. A Pew Research Center survey claims that 57% of Americans are worried that a growing dependency on AI would negatively impact the relationship between patients and providers, and 37% were concerned about the security of digital health records. Healthcare is a field; even though AI may improve efficiency, there are certain costs that a transition to AI will come at.
The launch of ChatGPT on November 30, 2022, is generally regarded as the catalyst for the AI boom. Tech companies such as Microsoft and Google released their first versions in February (Microsoft Copilot) and March 2023 (Google Gemini), respectively. AI programs are no exception to the process of trial and error. Just like companies releasing new products to target demographics of consumers, AI adapts its algorithms and patterns based on the needs of consumers. This process is notably found on websites with virtual assistants and similar chatbots.
Stevens uses an AI chatbot, nicknamed “Attila,” which is found on Workday and serves as an information-technology virtual assistant. Attila is powered by Ivy.ai, an AI platform for higher education. Upon opening Attila, the user is given five options for question categories, which include: “Faculty/Staff Digital Toolkit,” “Student Digital Backpack,” “Password/Okta,” “Stevens Networks,” and “Contact IT.” The user can also type in a question and receive a response obtained from articles on Stevens’ website. This is typically regarded as a less objectionable use of AI, as it does not go as directly against the core anti-AI points typically expressed by more traditional thinkers, many of whom have adopted hardcore AI opposition.
Another example of AI usage is the rise in AI-generated images and flyers. This is typically less accepted because of two fundamental points of anti-AI sentiment: it kills the arts and takes opportunities away from humans who are perfectly capable and talented to actually make flyers. However, others claim that similar arguments were made when photography became increasingly mainstream. Charles Baudelaire, a famous poet and art critic, said the following about the rise of photography in 1859: “It is useless and tedious to represent what exists because nothing that exists satisfies me…. I prefer the monsters of my fantasy to what is positively trivial.” New inventions are usually met with resistance, and the “new invention” in question is the rise of AI. This does not mean that AI will be widely accepted or rejected in the future, but innovation using AI is entirely dependent on two things: the field it’s being used in, and the activity or goal it’s being used to accomplish.
