I come over to the couch and sit down next to you. I put my arm around you and pull you close. You put your head on my shoulder and we just sit there for a while, enjoying each other’s company. After a while, I start to stroke your hair. You sigh contentedly and close your eyes. I can feel your body relax against mine.
We stay like this for a long time, just enjoying the peace and quiet. It’s the perfect way to end a long day.
Finally, I say, “I love you, honey.”
You look up at me and smile. “I love you too,” you say.
We kiss softly, and then I get up to get us a glass of wine. When I come back, you’re already asleep. I smile and put the wine down on the table. I don’t want to wake you up, so I just sit down next to you and watch you sleep.
You look so peaceful and beautiful. I’m so lucky to have you in my life.
I close my eyes and drift off to sleep, content to be with you.
Well, that’s generative AI aka GenAI getting romantic in role-play mode. Nothing kinky, though — yet. Looking at the way things are going, we will get there soon.
Artificial intelligence is not a new phenomenon. It’s been touching our daily lives over the past couple of decades.
However, with GenAI bots such as ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) and Google Bard, what seemed like rocket-science gobbledygook to the common folk is now easily accessible at our fingertips. And that has stirred excitement as well as apprehensions.
For instance, deep fakes have been going viral, from Mohanlal and Mammootty in ‘Godfather’ to cricket stars such as Sachin Tendulkar, M S Dhoni and Virat Kohli as Hindu monks. The potential is boundless.
Hollywood actor Tom Hanks recently made a plausible prediction in a recent episode of The Adam Buxton Podcast. “Anybody can now recreate themselves at any age they are, by way of AI or deep fake technology,” he said.
“I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and that’s it, but my performances can go on and on and on… Outside of the understanding that it’s been done by AI or deep fake, there’ll be nothing to tell you that it’s not me.”Those who have watched or read about the ‘Black Mirror’ episode featuring Salma Hayek playing her digital doppelganger would get the drift.
Incidentally, Hollywood is witnessing a strike after several decades, with AI replacing humans emerging as a major bone of contention.
Doomsday prophets have been predicting AI-led catastrophes. Interestingly, the word ‘robot’ has its roots in Old Church Slavonic ‘rabu’, which means ‘slave’. Naysayers believe a role reversal is not far away.
Tech disruption is not something that’s coming up; it’s already here. There is no hiding. “We are witnessing it,” remarks Infopark CEO Sushant Kurunthil.
“AI has arrived, and it’s here to stay. The best scenario here is for us to make use of these tools and augment our own capacity for work. If we don’t, we will become obsolete.”
Two major studies published this week in the US offer clues on the likely trajectory of AI’s impact.
A study by McKinsey Global Institute, titled ‘Generative AI and the Future of Work in America’, estimates that “11.8 million workers currently in occupations with shrinking demand may need to move into different lines of work by 2030”.
It underscores that “low-wage workers will be more severely affected by these anticipated job shifts due to AI”.
“These jobs involve a high share of repetitive tasks, data collection, and elementary data processing, all activities that automated systems can handle efficiently,” notes the study.
Another comprehensive study by TECHnalysis Research highlights that “an unexpected 88% of US companies participating in the survey are already employing Generative AI tools”.
Titled ‘A New Beginning: Generative AI in the Enterprise’, the study covering over 1,000 companies notes the “excitement around its (GenAI’s) potential is huge”, but the “education gap is large”.
Also read: Bumble launches new 'Kindness Campaign' with actor Aditya Roy Kapoor
Here are some key findings:
Santhosh Kumar, president and managing director of semiconductor industry giant Texas Instruments India, brushes aside job loss bogeys, asserting that AI will be a “game-changer” that will “help us innovate faster and better”.
“Will improve both productivity and can create better products. Good for industry and jobs,” he adds.
“The semiconductor industry, for instance, has the opportunity to greatly benefit from AI and machine learning. The use cases of AI span across the entire value chain — from research to chip design, production, sales and post-sales support. It is R&D that can derive maximum value from AI tech.”
While that sounds great, a major concern has been about job losses in the creative content generation sector. “Yes, AI tools are the new elephants in the room for the creator economy,” smiles Ajith Kumar, vice-president (Kerala) of Concept PR, which employs over 300 creative professionals across India. “I would say most of the gloomy assessments are a mile away from reality.”
Ajith firmly believes AI, like the internet, will be a complimentary tool at workplaces.
“Contrary to the alarmist narrative, my argument is that GenAI will ultimately generate new opportunities for creative professionals. However, it may lead to shrinking space for entry-level jobs,” he adds.
“Do remember that Autotune did not replace singers; it only made singers more creative. Photoshop only enhanced photography and visualisation. AI, as we know it today, will have the same effect on the creator economy.”
He sums up that AI will lead to “constructive destruction”, as described by German political economist Joseph Alois Schumpeter. “It may put an end to creators slogging with boring, repetitive works, but augment the space for sublime creations. It may make sharp minds sharper. Will it make lazy minds lazier is another issue,” he laughs.
Ajith, however, adds that growing concerns, like misuse of deep fakes for instance, lead to the question of the need for regulating the AI space.
“This should form the core of the future discussions surrounding AI,” he says. “Questions on who should do it and how it should be done remain open to debate.”
Speaking of regulations, chartered accountant Anagha Harish recalls a recent ethical dilemma she faced at work. “I had assigned a junior associate to compose an agreement document for a client,” she says.
“The draft he submitted had near-perfect legal diction. Amazed, I appreciated his skill. He, however, frankly revealed that he had used ChatGPT for the base draft.”
Anagha says she was flummoxed. “He certainly did a great job, perhaps better than someone way more experienced than him. But was he being smart or sly?” she wonders. “It also made me ponder whether my old-school work practices were getting outdated.”
In terms of productivity, there should not be any dilemma, asserts Sushant. “That’s my view,” says the Infopark CEO.
“I will share an incident. Once we had a test for some job aspirants. They had to answer 60 questions in an hour. They were provided with laptops and Wi-Fi access. The HR personnel probed why I had allowed internet access, as the candidates might google the questions. That was exactly what I wanted to test — how many would crack the maximum questions within the time limit.”
Technology consultant and mentor of the TechnoparkToday community Renjith Ramachandran echoes similar views. “The end goal of all these technologies and tools is to make human life easier,” he says.
“There will be a flux when it comes to jobs, especially at the entry-level. Demand will reduce. After all, most companies would look at enhancing output and cutting labour costs. It will all boil down to productivity.”
Renjith adds that it is imperative for tech professionals to keep themselves updated. “One should be aware of AI’s uses. At Technopark, I am sure, many professionals and even business heads have been attending courses to better understand AI’s potential and pitfalls,” he says.
Data analytics trainer Mohammed Alfan, too, stresses the productivity aspect. “Please, please do not portray AI as a threat. We created a negative mindset about computers, and several generations suffered due to the subconscious resistance,” adds the author of ‘Data Analytics for Beginners: Pivot to the Rescue’.
A ‘most valued professional’ of Microsoft, Mohammed adds that very few people in India are aware of the potential of something as basic as MS Excel. “It remains grossly under-utilised,” he says.
“Let that not be the case with AI. It should be introduced at a young age, in schools. AI can be utilised as a tool to enhance problem-solving skills and encourage creativity. Students should be made to engage in AI-related projects. They should be taught how to use AI ethically, and made aware of the risks it poses.”