Google is all in on Implementing AI, and the consequences are making themselves apparent

By Wyatt Hess, Abigail Papasodero, Dylan Bhojani and Jenna Fast

With the advent of generative AI, Google and other tech companies are searching for and implementing ways to take advantage of this new technology.

Google has shown congress a plan to implement current generative AI technologies to help policymakers implement the new technologies.

The company has also acknowledge how this technology will impact the job security of public and private employees within Washington, D.C and to prepare the workforce for this shift.

Google’s model of generative AI is Bard, a language model AI that works with Google applications and designed to help users with daily tasks such as drafting emails and narrowing searches. It is continuously updated to extend its capabilities as well.

Malicious and Opportunistic users are also using this new tech to lure and scam people into installing malware under the guise of Bard, and Google is stepping in to sue and prevent future scams.

Despite criticism with new AI advancements, Google Maps new update will provide users with great benefits that otherwise could not be achieved. These features will allow for a more immersive experience to make getting places and being there even easier. The biggest update is using AI to show a 3D version of your route before taking a walk or riding your bike.

With a feature like this, you can see any obstacles before you encounter them. Google further added to this by using AI to show you what the temperature and traffic will look like when you plan on being out and about. This will help you judge whether or not it’s the right time to leave the house.

These are advancements we have not seen other companies try out. Google’s post on Instagram shows they are confident these updates will benefit all users.

Other features include labeling the businesses around you with the use of a lens inside the app. There you can get directions, see their ratings, and check out what they have to offer all while standing in one spot. Users will also be able to search things based off of preferences and needs. They will also be able to search for Electric vehicle charging stations which is something Maps struggled with finding before AI.

Google uses AI for a ton of things beyond just in Maps. They have a specific team that is meant to research how they can use AI in new and beneficial ways. This tweet describes their teams recent activity outside of these updates.

All these benefits do come with a downside as Google does collect a ton of your data while you use the app. This is so they can continue to advance their AI to give better search results. As AI continues to grow, it is allowing the world to be at your fingertips more than ever before.

The power, influence of artificial intelligence

AI (Artificial Intelligence) can be described as the science of making machines that think like humans. AI has been around since the mid-1900s when two scientists programmed computers to play a game of chess against one another. Today, artificial intelligence is used all around us. It makes the world go around. But computers are just computers, and that’s all they’ll ever be. Right?

Recent developments in technology have rapidly increased the capabilities of AI, which mimic human behavior so well that they’re almost indistinguishable.

Through the use of deep fakes, AI is able to use deep learning to generate images, audio and video of anything it’s asked. Initially, the technology wasn’t very realistic, but it had its uses. Deep fakes could be used to make funny videos of your friend’s faces on dancing elves at Christmas, or to photoshop a family member into a photo from vacation. However, the increased realism of deep fakes has opened a whole new world of issues. The most common use of deep fakes online is in pornographic material. “The AI firm Deeptrace found 15,000 deepfake videos online in September 2019, and a staggering 96% were pornographic,” says Ian Sample, science editor of the Guardian. “99% of those (videos) mapped faces from female celebrities onto porn stars.” These videos spread like wildfire online, and it’s nearly impossible to verify their legitimacy.

Deep fakes have also gained popularity in driving political agendas. In February, a video surfaced online of President Joe Biden invoking the Selective Service Act. The clip looks to be very realistic, and showcases two factors of AI’s immense powers. For one, it used deep learning technology to mimic Joe Biden’s voice. It then matched the words to his mouth to make it seem as if he was really speaking.

A new feature recently implemented by X (previously Twitter) labels content that contains misinformation with a disclaimer, sometimes containing more context. While this has done an impressive job of mitigating the issue, these disclaimers can sometimes be delayed or not show up at all. Once the damage is done, it’s done.

Even X CEO Elon Musk, who implemented the fact-checking feature, is hit with disclaimers on his posts for showing potentially misleading information.

How AI will replace people’s jobs

A controversial shift in the workforce has begun. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to transform the workforce, leaving millions of jobs in the hands of AI and millions worldwide unemployed. The rapid speed at which technological innovations in AI have been made has increased employees concerns about potential job loss. From manufacturing to service jobs, the implications of AI taking over the workforce will be tremendous.

The industries at risk of this takeover are reliant on manual labor. AI systems are taking over tasks, such as assembly line operations and data entry, leaving many roles obsolete. Experts predict that with AI improving its efficiency and accuracy, it can increase workforce productivity but at the cost of traditional jobs and employees.

As AI integration into the workforce continues, workers are dealing with uncertainty for their future. Jobs that at one point they considered stable are now at risk of being redistributed to AI machines that can work continuously without error. This issue has prompted conversations worldwide. Policymakers, businesses, and labor unions are now discussing how to deal with this approaching shift and the threat that it will pose on job industries.

Opposing arguments are being made that even though it poses a threat to current employees in roles, AI presents an opportunity to retrain employees. Governments and businesses are considering investing in education and training programs to help train employees with skills needed for future jobs. As we navigate the impact of AI entering the workforce, the question remains: can society adapt quickly enough to reap the benefits of AI while juggling the social and economic challenges it will bring? Society’s response will shape the future of the workforce for generations to come.