The pros & cons of AI

AI gadgets are here and they're only going to get more powerful. The question is: are Apple and the public ready for them?

- CHARLOTTE HENRY

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an increasingly prominent topic in today’s technology landscape. With its ability to learn, adapt, and make decisions autonomously, AI has the potential to revolutionise various aspects of our lives. From business and healthcare to education and entertainment, AI is already playing a significant role in shaping the future. In this article, we’ll explore the basics of AI, its applications, and its potential impact on the world we live in. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or just curious about the latest advancements in the field, this article will provide you with a comprehensive overview of AI and its potential to transform our lives.

Confession: your author did not write the previous paragraph. Instead, it was generated, in mere seconds, by text-based AI tool ChatGPT. It correctly identified that in recent months AI has taken a giant leap forward as multiple major tech companies have accelerated their work in the field and made their tools public. ChatGPT comes from research and development firm OpenAI (openai.com), whose next-gen AI tool – GPT-4 –promises to be even more powerful. And OpenAI has recently partnered with Microsoft to provide the AI behind its search engine Bing. Not wanting to be left out, Google is also jumping on the AI bandwagon with Google Bard. Plus, there are image-generating services such as OpenAI’s Dall·E and Dall·E 2, and the independent Midjourney, which are also growing in popularity. Extraordinarily, these latest AI tools are ‘generative’ as well as responsive – ie, their algorithms can be used to make something new, raising questions about the power of human creativity.