student corner Pandora's box opened
.jpg?w=728)
By Song Ye-ji
The match between Google DeepMind’s artificial intelligence program, AlphaGo, and go master Lee Se-dol last March was a moment when history was made. Before the first match, everyone expected the 33-year-old human’s brain to win, but the results were astonishing.
This historical match indicates a significant change in the world and we should explore how humans can respond to the change.
The dramatic technological advancement in artificial intelligence that AlphaGo demonstrated was the stunning part of the duel. AlphaGo, by processing data through policy and value networks, was able to operate the way neurons do in the human brain.
Moreover, when given big data, in this case the accumulated 1,000 years of human knowledge of go, AlphaGo was able fully to analyze, utilize and optimize its ability through deep learning.
By looking at the algorithm that composes AlphaGo, Lee’s defeat seems legitimate and inevitable.
However, through this duel, we must not only be surprised at the infinite potential of artificial intelligence but also contemplate what message this match has sent to mankind, especially pertaining to the future, furthermore preparing for the coming shift _ an AI revolution.
There will be both positive and negative aspects of AI in our everyday lives.
The fundamental advantage of AI is that it will make the world more comfortable and convenient. AI will be utilized in various fields, from medicine _ during diagnosis and surgery, which require elaboration and accuracy _ to accounting, labor, sales, etc., enhancing the quality of service and the standard of living.
In contrast, AI could lead to millions, and even billions, of people losing their jobs. According to Moshe Vardi, a computational engineering professor at Rice University, AI could drive global unemployment to 50 percent, wiping out middle-class jobs and deepening inequality.
Stephen Hawking even warned that AI could spell the end of the human race, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk said it represents our biggest existential threat.
The unfavorable future does not end here. If AI lands in the hands of terrorists or those against universal human values, the survival of the human race will be in danger.
The essence of the issue lies in whether AI will be able to be used only for legitimate and moral purposes.
Considering the contrasting consequences AI could bring, we should meet these potential challenges now to create a better future.
The most significant thing we should do is constantly envision the future and find ways to reconstruct a society that won’t be devastated by artificial intelligence.
Detailed discussion between technology gurus and policymakers regarding applications, implications, guidelines, restrictions and ethics of AI will be necessary before solving the initial challenges in AI implementation.
In addition, public discourse and concerns about AI should be invigorated. It also will be crucial to shift the educational paradigm to bring about innovative algorithms.
Education should focus more on reinforcing the unique features of humans compared to computers, such as sociality or empathy, as John C. Havens, a reporter and author, did in his book, “Heartificial Intelligence,” which emphasized the importance of the value of humans. Mankind has already opened Pandora’s box. Whether our future will become a dystopia or utopia depends on us.
The writer is a second-year student at Ewha Womans University High School in Seoul.