Talking Points: How concerned should we be over artificial intelligence?

MINNEAPOLIS— In a world of artificial intelligence, many are asking “What’s real?” Or “What’s fake?” Or “What our information is being used for?”

Now more than ever, it’s worth taking a look at all aspects of artificial intelligence and diving into the dangers of this new technology, including deepfake AI-generated political ads and the increased risk of scams. It’s equally important to know the everyday uses of AI, from life-saving medical breakthroughs to finding a love match on dating apps.

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Ravi Bapna, the Curtis L. Carlson Chair in Business Analytics and Information Systems at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, focuses on platforms like Tinder and OkCupid that are powered by AI.

“These algorithms are trying to match people in a way that increases the chances of two people, (who) we’re compatible to go out and meet each other,” said Bapna.

AI is already being used in political campaigns leading up to the 2024 Election. Earlier this year, the Republican National Committee released a new ad generated completely by AI, which alleges a grim look ahead if there were to be a second Biden-Harris term.

Ads like this have sounded alarm bells for many, including Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, who testified before Congress on AI and disinformation ahead of Election Day.

“I see this as sort of the old poison in a new bottle. The poison is disinformation, bad information lies about the elections, the rules, who can vote, who can’t, polling places,” said Simon.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar has made AI a top legislative priority, introducing several AI security bills, including the banning of misleading AI political ads and regulation.

“You don’t want to have ads and videos online, where you literally can’t tell if it’s truly Joe Biden or if it’s truly Donald Trump,” said Klobuchar. 

 YouTube creators will soon have to disclose use of gen AI in videos or risk suspension

Mark Lanterman, Chief Technology Officer at Computer Forensic Services, agrees there are risks to AI. However, he noted the significant medical advancements being made.

“AI is revolutionizing healthcare through personalized medicine, predictive diagnostics,” said Lanterman. “I’ve read that it can even assist in complex surgeries, which I think leads to better patient outcomes. It can enhance research and innovation. AI accelerates research in many fields, from just drug discovery to astrophysics to analyzing vast amounts of data faster than is humanly possible.”

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