Artificial intelligence (AI) remains the talk of the tech town, but there are a bunch of issues that might just put a damper on its shine this year. As we kick off 2024, there’s a lot of speculation about what the future holds for AI. Last year, it took the crown as the hottest industry globally, and it seems set to maintain its throne throughout 2024—and possibly for the rest of your foreseeable future. Despite all the promises of groundbreaking capabilities for companies and web users, the concerns surrounding this dazzling yet daunting technology haven’t exactly disappeared. While it offers exciting possibilities, there’s also a dark side that might rear its head over the next twelve months. Let’s delve into some ways the new technology could potentially be a downer this year:
Job Losses Looming
Last year saw an unprecedented wave of layoffs, closely tied to the surge in companies adopting new automation. Brace yourself; this year might not be much different. A recent survey of business leaders revealed that around 40 percent anticipated conducting additional layoffs in 2024. Equally concerning, 40 percent of those surveyed planned to replace those laid-off workers with AI. Some argue that the primary “benefit” of AI for companies is its cost-saving ability, allowing them to replace certain workers with software
AI and Disinformation
The internet is already swimming in misinformation, but experts warn that AI could make the problem much worse. With web users now able to generate vast amounts of visual, textual, and video content at the click of a button, the upcoming presidential election in the United States could witness a perfect storm of AI-generated misinformation. Brace yourself for a potential onslaught.
Annoying Entertainment Industry
AI made significant strides into the entertainment industry last year, from AI-generated music facing legal challenges to the emergence of AI influencers, actors, and even adult stars. We can expect this trend to continue, potentially resulting in an entertainment landscape that’s both fascinating and unbearably cringe-worthy.
Over-the-Top Enthusiasm from the Tech World
2023 saw the rise of a new techno-utopian ideology supporting the budding AI industry. The techno-optimists, as they call themselves, initiated what can be seen as a PR campaign glorifying their own agenda. This enthusiastic promotion of “innovation” and “capitalism” is likely to persist, aiming to fend off government regulations and ethical guidelines in AI development.
Creepier Police Technologies
The already unsettling industry that produces police surveillance and enforcement equipment will get even creepier with the infusion of AI. When we combine it with existing biometric and digital surveillance technologies, it has the potential to significantly enhance government monitoring systems, potentially infringing on civil liberties.
To be fair, we’ll aim to do a roundup in the coming weeks of all the ways it could actually be pretty cool this year. Even if the benefits of the technology are not as apparent to some as the downsides, we’ll strive to play devil’s advocate and explore the positive aspects of AI.
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