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Can Artificial Intelligence Replace The Human Touch? Can Artificial Intelligence Replace The Human Touch?

By Michael O'Connor

MICHAEL O’CONNOR: AI is a rapidly developing technology that allows machines to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. It is already being used in a variety of industries, from healthcare to finance to manufacturing. AI has the potential to revolutionize education, enabling students to learn more about a variety of subjects in a fraction of the time. For example, a student can now write thousands of lines of code without being a computer programmer. SU computer science professor Garrett Katz says AI has been a valuable tool outside of the classroom.

GARRETT KATZ: I think definitely in health and medicine, you know, so things like understanding protein folding – that was a big AI advancement in the past couple of years. Medical imaging, screening patients, sometimes catching things that the human doctor or nurse couldn’t see on their own.

O’CONNOR: While many are still concerned about the potential to cheat with Chat GPT, there are some indicators to suggest the use of AI generated text. Chat GPT may produce text that is less organized or lacks a coherent flow of ideas relative to what a human writer would produce, so a piece of text that lacks a natural flow or has repetitive structure may suggest that it was generated by an AI. Visiting assistant professor Carrie Riby says the mistakes are more obvious with math.

CARRIE RIBY: It also has problems with arithmetic. If you ask it – you know – if you have ten people, how many toes do they have? It doesn’t always understand how to take that problem and turn it into an answer.

O’CONNOR: To better understand Chat GPT’s limitations, you can ask Chat GPT itself. I did, and it cited numerous weaknesses, including a lack of emotional intelligence and the ability to think creatively. But, as with any technological advancement, there are also dangers to consider. One of the main concerns is the potential for AI to replace jobs. According to new research from Goldman Sachs, an estimated 300 million jobs globally are at risk of automation. That means a quarter of all workplaces around the world could go from looking like this – *snap* – to this. In fact, I’m no different. 26 percent of all jobs in media are at risk of automation. To prove that, I asked Chat GPT to write a three minute news report outlining the benefits and dangers of artificial intelligence, and everything I’ve said prior to my standup was written entirely in Chat GPT. But it doesn’t stop there. One industry at risk includes social services, where AI poses a threat to nearly 33 percent of all jobs in the US. That means therapists, counselors, and similar professions could soon be reduced to generative AI. Sherie Ramsgard, owner of Whole Mental Wellness in Fayetteville, says despite the reports, it’s important to remember that technology can’t fully replace the human touch.

SHERIE RAMSGARD: So I see the benefits of trying to reach a population that might not otherwise be reachable, and for that instance I think it’s great; but for most people, I find that it’s not gonna be great. I mean, the two most powerful thing that most people – human beings – need is love and connection, and you’re not gonna get that from an AI bot. Through a camera.

O’CONNOR: Still, global leaders have grown increasingly concerned at the rapid advancement of AI and its potential to replace humans. Countries like Italy have banned the use of Chat GPT and called for a global halt on AI advancements until better safeguards are put in place. In Syracuse, Michael O’Connor, NCC News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly developing tool that has many strengths and weaknesses, with generative AI like ChatGPT becoming wildly popular since becoming publicly available.

ChatGPT responds to prompts from users on topics from medical diagnosis to legal advice to essay prompts. Its many uses have raised concerns from teachers for its potential for cheating, but visiting professor Carrie Riby says the use of the new technology can be easy to detect.

“It still has problems with arithmetic,” Riby said. “If you ask it ‘if you have ten pepole, how many toes do you have?’ It doesn’t always understand how to take that problem and turn it into an answer.”

Despite the limitations, ChatGPT has still revolutionized education by exposing students to topics that would otherwise take years to learn. For example, a student no longer has to be a computer programmer to write hundreds of lines of code; ChatGPT can respond to a prompt, produce code, and explain how the code works in a fraction of the time a normal class would.

Garrett Katz, a computer science professor at Syracuse University, says other forms of AI have revolutionized other industries – mainly healthcare.

“There have definitely been big advancements in health and medicine in the past couple of years,” Katz said. “It helps catch things that human doctors or nurses can’t see on their own.”

A bar chart displays the percent of major industries at risk of automation by AI
New research from Goldman-Sachs estimates nearly 300 million jobs are at risk of automation by AI
© 2023 Michael O'Connor

Still, the AI boom has raised many concerns over its potential to replace jobs. In fact, new research from Goldman Sachs estimates that nearly a quarter of the global work force is at risk from automation due to AI.

One key industry is social services, which Goldman Sachs estimates 33% of all therapists, psychiatrist, and other social workers could soon be reduced to generative AI. Sherie Ramsgard, the owner of Whole Mental Wellness in Fayetteville, says it’s important to remember that technology can’t fully replace the human touch.

“The two most powerful thing that most people need are love and connection,” Ramsgard said. “You’re not gonna get that from an AI bot.”

With the rapid growth of AI and its threat to jobs around the world, some world leaders have called for a halt on new research regarding AI, with countries like Italy even going so far as to ban the use of ChatGPT entirely.

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