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Every day, the average citizen is hearing more about artificial intelligence, or AI. Whether we realize it or not, we are engaging with AI at an ever-increasing rate, and it’s important for consumers to understand what it is and how it’s being used.
What is AI?
IBM offers a succinct, general definition for AI on their website: “Artificial intelligence (AI) is technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human learning, comprehension, problem solving, decision making, creativity and autonomy.” But artificial intelligence is advancing so quickly that the definition could continue to change over time.
Key Historical Events Regarding AI
In less than 100 years, there have already been quite a few milestones in the advancement of AI:
1950: Alan Turing published "Computing Machinery and Intelligence," introducing the Turing Test to determine if a machine could think
1952: The first game-playing program (checkers) capable of learning was created
1955: The Logic Theorist, often considered the first AI program, was developed
1986: The first driverless car was invented
1996: A computer called Deep Blue beat human chess grandmasters for the first time
2011: Siri was introduced to the iPhone
2022: ChatGPT was first made available to the public, and later models passed the Turing Test
Types of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be broken down into a few different categories:
Artificial General Intelligence: a form of AI that can exhibit behavior as intelligent as a human.
Artificial Super Intelligence: a form of AI that surpasses human intelligence across virtually all domains.
Generative AI: AI that creates text, images, or videos.
Large Language Model (LLM): an advanced AI system that processes human language to perform tasks.
Where is AI?
Most internet searches now include AI results. Businesses are using AI to answer phone calls, interact with customers online, and streamline operations. Just about everyone is affected by AI even if they do not realize it.
For example, AI is built into modern smartphone operating systems and many third-party applications. These features can enhance the user experience by automating tasks, adding context, and enabling creative editing directly on the device. These operating systems and apps can utilize AI for smart photography (object removal, generative fill), real-time translation, personalized assistants (Siri, Google Assistant), battery optimization, smart replies, and content creation.
How do I know what is created by AI?
Early generative AI images would often have errors such as extra fingers on a hand, or an interrupted pattern on an article of clothing worn in an image.
But as technology has grown more sophisticated, these errors are fewer and farther between, making it increasingly difficult to know what is AI-generated and what is not.
Being AI-generated doesn’t necessarily mean something is deceptive or a scam. In many cases, you can never be 100% certain if something is real or AI-generated.
Consumers can only determine if something is AI-generated by going to the “alleged” source of the information.
Remember, if the communication comes to you (and requests information and/or money), it is imperative you verify the requester before acting upon the request.
How are scammers using AI?
AI voice cloning scams use artificial intelligence to mimic a loved one's voice in urgent distress calls, tricking victims into sending money. These scams are highly convincing due to realistic AI generated voices, often using real voice audio that the scammer acquired from social media videos.
AI can create fake photos or videos that look incredibly real and prey on your emotions. Scammers may use these to impersonate family members or public figures.
Scammers use AI to write natural, error-free emails and texts that mimic banks, government agencies, utility companies, coworkers, and many more. These messages are hyper-personalized using “scraped” data to trick victims into sharing private login details or clicking malicious links.
Benefits and Concerns with AI
As with any new technological advancement, there are recognized benefits and concerns regarding AI.
Some potential benefits of AI include:
Increased personalization within digital services and products
Improved decision-making (in certain situations)
Ability to quickly generate content such as text, computer code, or images
Advances in medical treatment and research
Decreased operational costs due to greater efficiency of machines in business
Some areas of concern as AI technology improves include:
Deepfakes and voice filtering
Bias or discrimination based on the data used to train AI
Possible cybersecurity concerns
Lack of transparency over how the AI’s decisions are arrived at
Potential to create misinformation or inadvertently violate laws
Misuse and exploitation by identity thieves