Whether you’re scrolling through social media, getting recommendations from your streaming services, shopping online, writing an email, searching for something on Google, or commuting, there are so many simple things we do each day that involve AI. Sometimes we don’t even realise it.
Without AI you wouldn’t be able to book an Uber, find the quickest route to your appointment, know when your bus or train is going to arrive, safely use online banking, unlock your devices with your face or fingerprint or even apply a background filter on Zoom.
As well as making our lives easier, AI is also helping to make our lives healthier and safer. To name just a few examples, AI technologies are being used to detect COVID-19 in the way people cough, predict the risk of having a heart attack and develop more effective emergency management strategies.
AI has come a long way in recent years, but we’ve only scratched the surface of what we can do with it. AI will continue to transform the way we live, work, learn and play and the possibilities are truly endless. From increased productivity and better customer service to faster and safer transport
to more personalised health diagnoses and treatments, the benefits are far-ranging.
Most industries and professions will be impacted by advances in AI and more and more jobs will require AI and computer science knowledge and skills. Already, AI is playing a significant role in a range of industries from healthcare through to manufacturing, finance, and agriculture.
At the same time, there are concerns about the potential downsides of such powerful technologies. This includes future job losses as AI becomes more and more advanced, and the risks of privacy and data breaches. To ensure AI makes our world better and stronger rather than weaker, it needs to be carefully and thoughtfully managed. That responsibility starts and ends with humans!
And that’s why it’s essential that school students and their teachers understand what AI is, how it works and how they can make the most of it in safe and ethical ways.
