Artificial intelligence is a tool that is meant to assist humans, but many are using it as a substitute for their own efforts. As a result, people are becoming sluggish, their thinking abilities are declining and their creative development is being hindered. This is very worrying.
There are three groups of people in society: 1. Children, 2. Adults, and 3. Senior citizens. How do these three groups view artificial intelligence? What kind of impact is it having on them? Children and senior citizens are often more gullible and may not always be able to differentiate between what is beneficial and what is harmful. To them, artificial intelligence may seem almost like a living being.
The adult group is the most affected. This includes students from higher secondary level to postgraduate studies. The immense potential of these students is being undermined. University libraries are becoming vacant. Students who once sat in libraries, read five to six books, and completed assignments through research are now using artificial intelligence to complete projects at home with little independent thinking. This is not only reducing critical thinking skills but also weakening intellectual development. According to the AI Index report of Stanford University, about 80 per cent of students around the world now use artificial intelligence or AI technology in their studies and institutional assignments.
However, the impact of artificial intelligence is not always adverse. If used properly, it can play a helpful role in education, research and many other fields. The problem lies not with artificial intelligence itself but with the way people use it. Artificial intelligence is a revolutionary achievement of human civilisation. It is not our competitor but our ally. It is the responsibility of humans to control this ally. Such awareness is what we need most today.
Khadiza Afrin Mitu
Student
University Of Chittagong