Let’s go beyond the discussion man vs. machine for a while and admit that AI really makes for a better society
As I’m writing, artificial intelligence is tracing behaviors on social media everywhere. But there’s more to the matter than meets the eye. Rather than use the collected data for marketing and sales purposes, AI may indeed be detecting and acting on suicidal signs or attempted suicides, nowadays a most serious cause of death globally. Social entrepreneurs and academics have adopted AI to tackle the issue focusing on children and the youth. Platforms like AI Buddy and Bark monitor text messages, as well as e-mails or Youtube videos to detect any sign of potentially self-destructive behavior to warn families, friends and authorities about the likelihood of something going wrong. Some other platforms are concerned with preventing school shootings.
“Meddling” is a word that otherwise may carry a bad connotation, but in this instance, AI is saving lives. It also may look like a scenario of another sci-fi movie or book, but the fact is that AI can help us lead longer and better lives.
Regarding the relationship between man and machine, many scientists and authors have been talking of cooperation more than substitution. In such areas as food chain in a challenging world of seven and a half billion people to feed, Sentient, a startup that has developed an AI which studies the effect of light (UV), salinity and water on crops, is seeking ways of perfecting conditions for a more sustainable agriculture. AI is also being used to prevent diseases, and helping farmers to produce more and better as ultimately, more efficiency can prevent hunger and save lives.
For one thing, ‘AI for good’ will provide better access to healthcare for all, one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. While helping doctors to detect diseases and discover new drugs, AI can indeed change completely the way we take care of our health.
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