With AI rapidly improving every day, the constant fear of it only gets greater with every passing minute. People have already lost their jobs on multiple occasions because of AI and it seems the panic only grows the more the algorithms get developed. While there has been a lot of restructuring and changes around various companies to optimize their workflows… Should we really be afraid of AI or should we rather embrace it?
The Origin Of AI Technophobia
Humans in their nature are very territorial. This means we like to feel in control in order to feel safe and stable. If something is unknown to us, and therefore outside of our control…. We tend to always be fearful of it. So is AI. It has become way bigger than we could have ever imagined in the past… And it seems that it’s only going to grow in the future. There are tons of new things coming out every day. But why are people so afraid of technology and AI in general?
The Fear Of The Unknown
As we already established, the fear of the unknown is one of the biggest reasons why people are so fearful of AI. It refers to the anxiety around unpredictable situations or events. It can also link to things that people find unfamiliar or strange. With AI, nobody can tell for certain where we are heading in the future… How much it is going to support us, and how much it is going to take over. Like with everything in life, we as humans are always afraid to touch or start something new because we don’t know how it works and it easily overwhelms us. This is how people always react when new technology comes around… Be it computers… Phones… Or even the internet. So, the best we can do is embrace it instead of running away from it.
Losing Their Jobs
Another and probably the most commonly voiced fear of peole, is that they are afraid of losing their jobs. However, while AI will replace the mundane and repetitive tasks that can be automated… It will not take over all the jobs. Not even remotely. Just think back to factories many many decades ago. Dozens of people have lost their jobs because machines have taken over their tedious and repetitive tasks. Be it putting together products by hand or producing various gadgets one by one. While this was a huge hit for factory workers, it also opened up a lot of other jobs. Which meant sooner or later those people also found employment elsewhere. AI isn’t the first thing that is going to revolutionize our workplaces and will definitely not be the last one.
Deepfakes & Theft
Deepfakes and theft (especially from various artists), have been another huge concern of people. AI has already created millions if not billions of dollars damage with its tendency to not be able to discern right from wrong. A lot of people use AI to create unethical pictures and videos of famous persons or even their colleagues… Be it for their own amusement or to cause serious damage by making them do or say various things that are not true.
The problem with that is that AI can make it look very believable and real. The biggest issue however, is the way a lot of companies have trained their AI. They used images and content from the internet without even asking the creators for their permission, resulting in a lot of hate and anger against the newly developed technology which is more than understandable and there needs to be a lot of work done in order for people to be able to trust in AI again.
Cybersecurity Risks
AI is a very powerful tool that can’t be denied and the worries around cybersecurity are a legitimate concern. Like with most technologies, it really depends on the person using it. There will always be black sheep in this world that will use their tools to do evil things. However, the majority of AI has a lot of security measures in place. Companies invest huge amounts of money to make sure they create secure and safe systems. On top of that, while AI can be a security risk, it is also used to detect and prevent various cyber threats, which creates a safer environment for businesses and individuals alike.
The Loss Of Control
As we already mentioned in the chapter about the fear of the unknown, people are constantly afraid of losing control. Some people believe that AI will become too powerful and will take over control. Ai however is developed, programmed, and trained by humans, and it only operates within the parameters that are set by its developers. Even then, it often acts like a toddler that needs a lot of parenting once it gets stuck at a certain point. On top of that, there are already laws being created by various governments to make sure there are proper regulations in place for the development of various AI systems.
Science Fiction Influence
AI and similar technology have long been a fantasy of humanity and have often been used in movies or other fictional works. iRobot, Terminator, or The Matrix, just to name a few, have influenced a lot of people and their views about AI… Which were more often than not rather negative. Most of the time AI is depicted as this unyielding force that takes over and dominates humanity but in reality, AI is developed to assist humans, and its development is guided by strict ethical standards. So, the fear of AI destroying humanity is purely fiction but there are still a lot of people that fear that this might be the case if we start using it in our daily lives.
How To Conquer Your Fear Of AI
Now that we covered the most common reasons why we as people are so afraid of AI, we can now look at the various methods we can use to get more comfortable and familiar with the new technology.
Embrace The Change, Don’t Run From It
One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give you is to embrace AI and not stay clear of it. You don’t have to become an expert at every single program in the world but you can start by getting your feet wet. Dabble a little in ChatGPT or Gemini, try generating some images in Dall-E or Midjourney and see how you feel about it. Maybe you can even watch funny experiments with AI like this one where AI tries to beat Pokemon Red. Getting to know your enemy is the best way to work around your fear of them so try to stay a step ahead of them
Learn To Use AI To Your Advantage
If you are afraid of AI taking over your job, then why not see how you can use it to your advantage? While AI can replace and simply a lot of jobs, it doesn’t have to be yours. If you are learning how to utilize AI, then the company will see you as a valuable asset to oversee and manage that tool alongside your usual tasks. Who knows, maybe you even get promoted? If you already see your company talking about restructuring and using AI, don’t try to work against it but rather pivot in the same direction. Like always, higher-ups will keep the people who adjust well to change and kick those out who work against it. While this isn’t exactly an ethical practice, this is sadly how most companies are run because as we know… time is money.
Inform Yourself About The Topic
If you don’t plan on using AI in any way, at least try to inform yourself properly about it. If something scares you or makes you uncomfortable, make sure you at least understand why. Since you stumbled across our blog here, you’re definitely on the right track! But don’t just pull from one source. Use different websites, read about different opinions and programs, and don’t fall for any fake news and hate speeches. The more open you stay to this topic, the more comfortable you’ll get and the less scared you are going to be of AI.
AI is definitely going to change a lot in our daily lives, both at work and at home. But there is no reason at all to be scared of it. AI is just like every other new technology. It is scary, people are skeptical about it and it can be quite overwhelming. If we stay calm and simply embrace the change, there is no need to worry about anything. The worst we can do is to avoid it because then you would fall behind and it can be really hard to catch up later on.
If you’re not afraid of using AI in your daily work life, why not check out one of our other AI articles to help you speed up your workflow:
AI Coding: How To Utilize AI As A Game Programmer
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