COLLINS: Can we ever look in our (A)I again?
TEN YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, I wonder what a picture of me will look like. It might be an exact image of how I look at the time. Or, it may not be a realistic image, because it may not actually be me at all. It may be something that bears a slight resemblance to the original subject, but it may have been completely distorted by the mechanics of artificial intelligence (AI).
There is so much misinformation floating around about AI that even people who use it often don’t really understand it. AI has been sweeping the world very quickly and has been proven to be a tremendous tool when used in the right hands. But the downside of AI is that it is not always used with the best of intentions. Let’s face it; some people don’t care about the welfare of others.
AI provides an advanced way for information and images to be easily shared and manipulated, which can trigger an avalanche of negative reactions. We all know the terrifying effects of bullying before AI. There is no better example of this than the tragic case of Amanda Todd, who was stalked and bullied at home and in school, until she eventually ended her own life. Sadly, this is only the tip of the iceberg where cyberbullying is concerned. And as the power of AI continues to grow and expand, so too does the power of those who may not use it for its intended purpose.
Photoshopping and catfishing have been around for decades; these concepts are not new. But now that AI is so accessible and easy to use, even a child can do it. Images and information can be altered to be so sophisticated that even seasoned professionals take pause to see if they can spot the truth amongst the lies. With this advanced technology being used so commonly now, seemingly innocent images being sent among friends are now fodder to the bullies and hackers who can quickly manipulate those images into vulgar, grotesque and even sexually inappropriate pictures that can be spread without consent to the masses at will.


