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The topic of technology is inextricably linked to artificial intelligence. It is one of the fastest-growing areas of technology. Although we have been using artificial intelligence for years, in the last few years the development of this branch of technology has progressed rapidly, and applications and systems characterized by the possibility of machine learning are especially intriguing.
As part of his lecture at the Future Tense 2023 conference, futurist Nikolas Badminton talked about the need to “change perception” as we enter the era of artificial intelligence.
“Rather than fixating on fears of job replacement, let’s channel our excitement towards its transformative potential within app ecosystems, language refinement, and the automation of mundane tasks that once hindered our productivity and creativity”, said Badminton.
It was especially interesting when he ended his lecture at the conference with a poem in the style of Miroslav Krleža, written by ChatGPT, on the topic of what Zagreb will look like in 100 years, which caused enthusiasm in the audience.
Erica Orange, American futurist and executive vice president and director of The Future Hunters, one of the world’s leading futurist consulting companies. At Future Tense 2023, she spoke about the future of education and work and pointed out that “critical thinking will be one of the key skills of the future”, regardless of the industry or the position we work in.
“There are undeniable fears that we can all understand regarding the ChatGPT. There are issues of intellectual property, writing texts and creative work in general, and we are increasingly noticing how current flawed artificial intelligence systems are based on numerous discriminatory and ethically questionable beliefs. I believe that this fear will intensify. At the same time, I think we can be excited about this new technology. There are many ways we can use artificial intelligence, for example, to enhance our human awareness and skills. We can, for example, give artificial intelligence to perform jobs that we don’t want to do, the boring, routine ones, leaving us space and time to deal with the creative part of the job, critical thinking… If ChatGPT can help us with a quick search for data that we will use in our work, then its impact is positive”, Orange pointed out.
At first glance, sustainability may have nothing to do with artificial intelligence – but only at first glance. Futurist Gerd Leonhard at Future Tense pointed out that artificial intelligence will not automatically help us create a better society because we have been using advanced technology for years – but we are using it in the wrong way, i.e. for goals that are not in line with sustainability goals.
“The rapid pace at which technology and artificial intelligence are advancing requires a deep understanding of our goals and values, which should be grounded in the pursuit of the greater good. Without such clarity and an ethical compass, technology has the potential to impede prosperity rather than foster it. The consequences of misusing or misdirecting this immense power can be catastrophic, even threatening the very essence of our humanity,” Leonhard said at Future Tense 2023.
And while many are worried and predict dark scenarios in which the use of artificial intelligence will lead to almost tragic consequences for humanity, there are also optimists. Composer and president of the European Alliance of Composers, Alfons Karabuda, in his speech at the Future Tense conference, pointed out that artificial intelligence opens up numerous opportunities within the music industry, including a better remuneration system for authors. At the same time, many creatives fear that generative artificial intelligence applications and software, such as Chat-GPT or Midjourney, will “push out” authors. Not only are they using their art without compensation or attribution to generate content that they then charge for, but they are much cheaper than human artists, which could put them out of business.
However, Karabuda thinks that this scenario will not happen, at least as far as the creative industries and arts are concerned.
“Artificial intelligence has many benefits, but what it does not have are feelings and emotions. It will never be able to replace the art created by artists,” said Karabuda at the Future Tense 2023 business conference.
What is certain is that we cannot prepare for just one possibility. As experts from the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies often point out: There is not just one future, but many possible futures. As always, our actions and decisions today will shape the business community tomorrow.
