Meta AI: Any Thoughts?
The other day while perusing my socials, I noticed that Instagram has implemented a new Meta AI feature, where you can essentially search anything and it will populate results similar to a Google search. On the one hand, this is extremely convenient and user friendly, and an excellent business move. Instagram could likely become the next generation of Google, with more strategically personalized results. On the other hand, the one which lies closer to my heart, this added feature gives the holder of that data much greater access to us.
For many, the response to this posed argument could likely be “well they already know everything about us anyways!”, which is true, but at what point does that become dangerous?
Initial thought: “Hello Meta AI. No thank you, I don’t want to ask you anything!!!”
My personal fear - the tools we use are becoming more aware of us than we are. My mind then swings the other direction - how can we use these tools to become more aware of our own patterns? Using AI as intended- as a tool.
Before I go any further, I’d like to mention that my ideas on this topic range from ridding myself of all technology and going off the grid to deepening my understanding and owning the technology to utilize it for good. So which is the better choice? I’ve made a personal pros and cons list; lets start with the cons.
Cons: My fears
Maintaining Individuality:At what points do thoughts become no longer just my own? This is something that frequently crosses my mind when surfing Google or IG. I am repelled by the notion of being segmented (or grouped) and then marketed to. Considering that this practice is already in motion, I am between a rock and a hard place.
Privacy: For me, privacy is a big issue. I love to share what I experience with the world, but I don't want outside forces to have a greater impact on what I think than I recognize. In other words, I want to be more aware of myself than the machines are aware of me. Free thinking is important, and I’d like to feel confident in my ability to do so. I do understand that we live in a world of propaganda, and it is certain that my thoughts are impacted by outside forces, but I want to have the critical thinking skills to accurately sift through the junk and know what aligns for me.
My fear is that AI will take away the ability to generate our own thoughts. I don't want to be pushed by information that the algorithm believes I align with, and over time, molded by that entity rather than my own natural thought patterns - but it's already happening.
It's always good to consider the alternatives. Say we ditched the phones and lived an off-grid life. We may not have issues which come alongside technology, like physical problems from sitting on a computer all day, scrolling too long, or the shortened attention span that accompanies doom scrolling. However, we would be disconnected, disconnected from friends, family, and the world essentially.
This doesn’t just limit our connection with loved ones, but it also limits our ability for knowledge-sharing, an integral piece of our human experience, a piece which has kept us evolving and adapting over time. So let's work our way to evaluate the pros.
The Pros: Leverage as a tool
We can use AI tools to broaden our reach, whether it be through social connection, knowledge-sharing, automation, or improved decision making. AI can help organize our thoughts and present the most aligned opportunities in front of us. As a personal example, AI has cut the process time for my responsibilities at work to a quarter of the time. This has allowed me to begin thinking more strategically about projects, rather than do the tasks as they come. AI expands my reach, which I love, because engaging in longer-term thinking is something I enjoy and would like to improve upon.
I would much rather spend the time thinking about approaches, rather than wasting it on monotonous tasks that a computer could do. Leave the tasks for technology, and thinking, itself, for us. But the line is so fine isn’t it? How do we distinguish the difference?
As aforementioned, our nature, as humans, is to adapt to our environment. The ones who survive in the future will be those who have the ability to adapt the quickest, when success is measured by advancement, that is. I believe technology to be no exception. Those who can leverage technology will find themselves ahead of the curve;the prevailers in that sector.
What’s your answer?
What life do you want to live? One of adaptation or one closer to our roots as we now know them? What defines “survival”? Does that take into account quality of life? Is it even possible to escape certain realities of technological advancement? These are some of the many questions that run through my mind.
Though my mind is running, the reality which grounds me is that we all have a choice. It is possible to go phone and technology free - it would prove to have consequences, but it is a choice nonetheless. As for technology, we have the choice to adopt all options available, and that too would have its consequences.
Though I have no defined opinion yet, I am grappling for it. But for whomever is reading I’d like to leave you with 2 questions:
What's your bias regarding AI? And what’s an argument against said bias?
Thank you for reading my thoughts, and If you have any ideas about the topic, I would love to chat! As I said, I am still grappling for an opinion here. I wish you the very best as always (: