Technologists and business leaders compare the impact of artificial intelligence to that of the steam engine, but this metaphor oversimplifies the potential effects of AI on society.
Technologists have been doing it. Jamie Dimon just did it in his latest letter to shareholders. I’m referring to the way people are comparing the transformational impact of artificial intelligence to that of the steam engine . The metaphor has not only become a cliché; it paints an oversimplified and too-rosy picture of how this technology will reshape our lives.
Contrast that with the way machine-learning algorithms have become prevalent in social media, retailing, logistics and more in just the past two decades. And the true catalyst, which gave rise to the latest era of “generative AI” that conjures text, images, voice and videos, and tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney, was invented just seven years ago.There are also big differences in the ethical and social implications of the steam engine versus AI.
Analogies are wonderful, but they should be picked with care when language has the power to shape opinion. During the Gulf War, for instance, the use of terms like “smart weapons” implied a bloodless conflict with precise targeting that wasn’t actually possible.Similarly, the discourse around artificial intelligence teems with illusory terms such as “intelligence” , “neural networks” and “machine learning” , all helping to personify AI systems as something more human than they are in reality.
Here’s a better analogy: the internet. Not only did it seamlessly weave itself into the fabric of daily life, just as AI is doing, it evolved rapidly from its inception, revolutionising media and the way we socialise and communicate.
Artificial Intelligence Steam Engine Transformation Technology Impact
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