Generative Artificial Intelligence is here to stay. As scary or uncomfortable as the term is or makes people feel, it is just a poor descriptor. People do not like artificial stuff, to begin with, and it being supposedly also intelligent is more like an insult to injury.
Computers do not have urges, drives, or desires. They can never be human. Can artificial intelligence slip out from underneath the control of its programmers? Perhaps. They can certainly cause or do things; and a few things, I imagine, can really be bad. But humans are known to screw up big time as well.
Images of Arnold Schwarzenegger as a badass Terminator have not helped. Some imaging is even worse. But there are also the droids of Star Wars. Mean and threatening, or cute and friendly? What is your preference?
Tools, machines, computers, and robots have been with us for a long time. From what I can tell, artificial intelligence is still in the same category. Do you see an opportunity or a threat, or both?
Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that is able to create new and original content, such as images, music, or text, without being explicitly programmed to do so. It works by learning patterns and styles from existing data and then using that knowledge to generate new content that is similar but different from the original. Think of it as a computer program that can come up with its own ideas and create something unique, just like a human artist or writer.
Experts are debating whether AI has the potential to become sentient, meaning to have consciousness and self-awareness. Some argue that AI will never truly be able to experience emotions or have a subjective experience like humans do. However, if AI were to become sentient, it is uncertain how it would behave towards humans.
In the meantime, would you rather take the bull by the horns instead of letting the bull take you by your balls – or an equivalent? By now, a lot of folks have been trying out chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot, and then some.
My husband has allowed himself to be drawn into figuring out how GenAI can help people like me in my job as a character development coach, mentor, or pastor, you name it. We do not know what the future holds, but we sure do not wish to be left behind.
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