Research: AI
[Skills Research Topic] JAN-FEB 2023: Artificial Intelligence
The debate topics for the next Seasonal Event will be the same for all grades:
Artificial Intelligence is Desirable.
![Can Machines Think? (by Rockwell Anyoha, Harvard University) Can Machines Think? (by Rockwell Anyoha, Harvard University)](https://i0.wp.com/sitn.hms.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Half-machine-half-human-brain-2.jpg?resize=960%2C600&ssl=1)
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TOPIC:
“Artificial Intelligence” is desirable (or undesirable).
BACKGROUND:
AI is fast, efficient, and in many ways even lives up to the second half of its name: intelligent. Some experts predict that not too many years hence, AI will reach the holy grail of general AI; that is, it will no longer be limited to specific tasks, such as protein folding or text translation, but will be able to do pretty much anything human intelligence can do, a hypothetical moment often referred to as “the singularity.” At that point, the possibilities of AI would be limitless, with the potential to help humans in ways we haven’t even imagined yet, says Max Tegmark, physicist and machine-learning researcher at MIT. But the disadvantages of AI are being increasingly documented as well. AI can be horribly biased, as when one AI system predicted that black defendants were far more likely to be repeat offenders than they actually were, or when it astonished its creators by labeling photos of Black people as “gorillas.” AI’s mistakes can be deadly. A self-driving car hit and killed a pedestrian in Tucson in 2018. But perhaps most disturbingly, in many cases, AI is a black box — we don’t know what’s going on inside. — The Pros and Cons of Artificial Intelligence (Discover Magazine, September 2, 2022)
![](https://21stcenturydebate.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Untitled-design-53.png)
REQUIRED RESEARCH (VIDEOS):
Sundar Pichai: Weighing the Pros and Cons of Unleashing the Power of AI,
Invention Stories (Shorts), February 21, 2022 [20 sec]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAzCdRSDV3o
Note: Pichai is CEO of Google (a top expert in the field).
Artificial intelligence bot ChatGPT raises excitement and concerns,
CBS News, December 7, 2022 [6 min]
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/artificial-intelligence-bot-chatgpt/
Benefits of Artificial Intelligence,
Hashem Al-Ghalli (Video), February 5, 2022 [2 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfjCvmhXN9M
10 Disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence,
Web Regime, August 2, 2022 [4 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jenEIBcxImE
REQUIRED RESEARCH (ARTICLES):
The Pros and Cons of Artificial Intelligence,
Discover Magazine, September 2, 2022
https://www.discovermagazine.com/technology/the-pros-and-cons-of-artificial-intelligence
He Used AI to Publish a Children’s Book in a Weekend. Artists Are Not Happy About It,
TIME Magazine, December 14, 2022
https://time.com/6240569/ai-childrens-book-alice-and-sparkle-artists-unhappy/
Why the biggest challenge facing AI is an ethical one,
BBC News, March 7, 2017
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170307-the-ethical-challenge-facing-artificial-intelligence
Subtle biases in AI can influence emergency decisions,
Steve Nadis, MIT News, December 16, 2022
https://news.mit.edu/2022/when-subtle-biases-ai-influence-emergency-decisions-1216
PROS AND CONS RESEARCH (OPTIONAL):
Artificial Intelligence (AI) — Top 3 Pros and Cons,
ProCon.org, Last Updated: January 21, 2021
https://www.procon.org/headlines/artificial-intelligence-ai-top-3-pros-and-cons/
The Pros And Cons Of Artificial Intelligence,
Forbes Magazine, December 1, 2022
https://www.forbes.com/sites/qai/2022/12/01/the-pros-and-cons-of-artificial-intelligence/
Advantages and Disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence,
Toward Data Science, November 25, 2019
https://towardsdatascience.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-artificial-intelligence-182a5ef6588c
Pros and Cons of Artificial Intelligence – A Threat or a Blessing?,
Data Flair (Tech Blog), Last Updated: September 2. 2019
https://data-flair.training/blogs/artificial-intelligence-advantages-disadvantages/
OPTIONAL RESEARCH (ARTICLES & VIDEOS):
[VIDEO] An Insight, An Idea with Sundar Pichai | DAVOS 2020,
World Economic Forum, January 22, 2020 [30 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sncuRJtWQI
[VIDEO] “60 Minutes” reports on AI technology helping create realistic deep fakes,
CBS News, October 8, 2021 [5 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5-2q6oGBR0
[VIDEO] Artificial intelligence and algorithms: pros and cons,
DW News (Documentary), September 26, 2019 [40+ min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0dMTAQM4cw
New University-wide institute to integrate natural, artificial intelligence,
Harvard Gazette, December 7, 2021
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/12/new-harvard-institute-to-study-natural-artificial-intelligence/
The Future of Artificial Intelligence and Cybernetics,
MIT Technology Review, November 10, 2016
https://www.technologyreview.com/2016/11/10/156141/the-future-of-artificial-intelligence-and-cybernetics/
The History of Artificial Intelligence,
Harvard University, August 28, 2017
https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/history-artificial-intelligence/