AI is risk to future

By Taylor M.

AI has been a big source in the way we do things. Here at AHS, most students use ChatGPT as a helpful learning tool. But for others, the use of AI is to make an essay or an article for them. We use AI so much in our daily lives that we can’t do anything for ourselves without a robot assistant, and it has developed overtime, becoming more and more realistic. While some think AI is helpful, while others think it’s corrupted, I believe AI is being used everywhere, and it should be stopped before it affects the way we live across all sectors of society.

For starters, AI is putting people’s jobs at risk. It has become designed to where a robot can perform a human's job. One example of this is animation. Using generative AI, animation is being reshaped, which could significantly disrupt around 204,000 entertainment industry jobs in the next three years. While it won’t technically replace animators, it will still put them at high risks. Another example, in recent news, is what’s going on at Amazon. According to The New York Times, Amazon is planning to replace over half a million jobs with robots. Amazon’s U.S. work force has tripled since 2018, but with the robots, the company can avoid hiring more than 160,000 people in the U.S. by 2027. This shows that AI is going to spread across the nation.

The second reason why AI should be stopped is because of its environmental impact. In a study from the Sustainable Agency, studies showed that in 2024, the most carbon equivalent to 4.1 miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle for 1,000 inferences. This shows AI’s impact on fossil fuels. Golestan Radwan, the Chief Digital Officer of the UNEP, has also expressed her concern on the UNEP website:  “Governments are racing to develop national AI strategies but rarely do they take the environment and sustainability into account. The lack of environmental guardrails is no less dangerous than the lack of other AI-related safeguards.” Though AI is mostly online, it still has made its way into nature.

The third reason for AI’s corruption is how it gets through young kids’ brains. Kids get their content on social media, which ruins their brains enough. But now, content has become more AI-generated, often misleading or misinforming students. In other words, one could theoretically see AI-generated content online, think it is real, and be living in a world where they are believing something false is true, that something fake is real. In a survey from CNN, about 35% of teenagers reported being deceived by fake content online. However, a larger 41% reported they had encountered content that was real yet misleading, and 22% said they had shared information that turned out to be fake. This shows that it’s gotten to the point where AI has become too real. Even Youtube has AI-generated content, specifically on their Youtube Shorts. According to WIRED, Youtube says that it has “quality principles” for kids and family content, meant to weed out low-effort AI-generated trash. However, despite these efforts, problematic AI content still seems to exist. It attempts to get into kids’ brain and make them believe what’s real and what’s fake.

Some people may not agree that AI isn’t safe. They may say that AI is a good source because its sleek interface makes it user friendly, it can cut down on time by helping you complete tasks quicker, and it’s a great learning tool. However, the pros do not outweigh the cons. To the pro AI people, I would respond: Process is what makes something unique, like a piece of artwork or a chapter book. If you use AI for 100% of your life, your life may seem a lot easier, but in time, you’ll never learn to be creative. 

Other than students, teachers at AHS have both negative and positive opinions on AI. For example, Ms. Boykin, an English teacher, said, “AI makes my life easier. I use ChatGPT regularly  to do things like compare products, plan trips, brainstorm ideas, and really just provide general information about anything that I'm interested in. But...what will the future look like with AI running the show?”

Another teacher, Ms. Cockerham, my current English VI teacher, also expressed her feelings on AI. Adding onto Ms. Boykin’s comment, she said, “AI has the potential to be a useful tool, and personally saves me a lot of time by doing mindless tasks for me.  However, it can be dangerous as it short-circuits higher level thinking and can give the impression that the user has analyzed an issue, thinking without requiring the work of actual critical thinking.”

In conclusion, people should not be using AI due to the risk of jobs, its environmental impact, and its corruption on young children. As Ms. Boykin and Ms. Cockerham pointed out, it can be useful in the same way a search engine functions, but it should never be used to replace one’s actual working brain or do that critical thinking for him or her.  For those who want to be cautious of AI, start using human and credible resources, keep up with the latest news to prevent yourself from discovering false news online, and use your free mind to achieve your long-term goals.