What's the deal WITH AI?

The need-to-know on the artificial intelligence revolution taking place right now

- Claire Isaac

Our world is changing faster than ever, and if you need more proof, consider the fact that just a few months ago most of us barely thought about AI.

Short for artificial intelligence, AI is the simulation of human intelligence in machines to perform various tasks. Some claim that it might be as life-changing as the invention of the internet and mobile phones.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Most of us already use AI daily for simple tasks like online banking. What’s changed is that we’re now seeing major developments in generative AI, a form of tech which can create audio, code, images, text, simulations and videos.

Since November, we’ve witnessed the launch of ChatGPT and its new competitor Google Bard, which work by using word prompts. Type in a few words, and they can answer complex questions, or pen essays, novels and poems.

More of a picture person? ChatGPT’s sister site, Dall-E 2 can conjure up any image you desire, such as your favourite breed of dog done in the style of Picasso.

AI has also proven it’s no slouch at music, although deepfakes of performers such as Drake and Ariana Grande have raised a lot of legal questions.

COULD KIDS BE TEMPTED TO CHEAT? 

Another hot topic is how AI will transform education, amid concerns some kids may be tempted to cut and paste essays from ChatGPT. This has led to plenty of discussion about how assignments will look in the future, and debates about whether it should be banned to avoid cheating, or embraced as a research tool.