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AI:Utopia or Dystopia?

*This was an in-class essay for my English Debate class in 2017

In the democracy of ancient Athena, women and slaves did all the work leaving the men free to practice politics, study history, and create art. It may be possible to recreate such a utopia in the world we live in now with the help of AI. People dream of a world where machines do all the work while people can focus on creative projects. However, if AI progresses in the direction it is currently going in, the world will turn into a dystopia.
People worry the most about the effect AI will have on jobs. It is natural for jobs to appear and disappear. The cycle has gone on for centuries, as jobs go out of fashion and new jobs are created to fill their place. The problem occurs when a massive amount of jobs disappears but there are not enough to replace them. The World Economic Forum predicted a net loss of over 5 million jobs in 15 developed countries by 2020. People working in factories, transportation, retail and many more are being replaced by machines. Experts predict that jobs people thought needed a human’s touch, like doctors, teachers, and judges, will become more and more automated. Only jobs that require creative thinking and innovation thoughts will remain, and with the development of AI, we don’t know how long those will last. The creative jobs aren’t enough to hire the increasing number of jobless people, and it is hard for people to do well without a level of knowledge or skill. Machines and AI overpower the human ability in speed, quality, cost-efficiency and accuracy, leaving no jobs and opportunities for humans.
Of course, it would be ideal if the profit earned by using AI allows people to live happily without working, but this is impossible if the power stays focused. The small number of rich leaders who own AI benefit from it. As Putin said, “whoever owns the sphere (AI) rules to world.” AI is so powerful that no one will be able to compete against a group or person that owns it. The majority will have to rely on the owners, creating a world similar to a communist society. This might be okay, better even for a few years if virtuous people hold the power but as history shows us, it will eventually turn into a dictatorship. Only this time, the dictator rules not only a country but the whole world. The technology and resources used to develop AI are focused in only a few wealthy nations. The developing countries will never be able to stand on their own, always relying on developed countries for resources. Global domination, which only appeared in fictions and conspiracies, might become a reality with AI.
Although there are many benefits that come with the development of technology, the side effects are too big to ignore. A recent issue is the invasion of privacy. People, especially women have to fear getting filmed even in one’s own house. There were many cases of hacking, from ransomware to major businesses. These phenomenons will only become more frequent and worse as AI develops. We also have to worry about what the future holds. Weapons developed with AI will be much more deadly, cruel, and efficient. Many experts say that AI weapons will be much more dangerous and will have a bigger impact than nuclear weapons. We can’t blindly develop AI without considering the massive negative impact it will bring.
I’m not saying we should all become neo-luddites. The development of technology is a positive progress. However, if we aren’t careful, the world will turn into a dystopia where the minority rules the world, the majority don’t have jobs, and people have to live in fear. We can’t continue on the current path, allowing this to happen.
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