The Pros and Cons of AI

When AI is implemented successfully, there are many benefits, but technological advancements have always been met with trepidation and excitement in equal measure. Just as some feared photography would replace painting in the 1800s, philosophers in ancient Greece argued that reading and writing would cause forgetfulness and a lack of wisdom. Now, with the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), the reaction is similar. Many are excited about the vast potential of AI, and many are apprehensive about how it could affect anything from their careers to their rights. But, whether you feel optimistic about AI or otherwise, it's here to stay, and understanding both its benefits and its drawbacks is crucial. 

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The pros of AI

When well-built AI systems are used correctly, they can be helpful collaborators, making our work and personal lives easier by offering some huge benefits. Some of these (such as increased efficiency and productivity) might seem obvious, but what if I told you that in certain areas, using AI can significantly reduce risk to human life? Keep reading to find out how.

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Efficiency and productivity

It’s no surprise that AI can massively improve efficiency and productivity. AI can automate repetitive tasks and process information much faster than humans, helping to speed up tasks such as data entry, scheduling, and customer support.

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Not only does this help tick things off the to-do list quicker, but it also enables humans to spend more time on creative or strategic tasks that are less suited to computers. According to Hubspot, "75% of respondents either somewhat agreed or strongly agreed that AI helped save time on manual tasks," and "72% of businesses that have implemented AI tools state that AI and automation make their employees more productive."

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Reduced human error

The human mind is an incredible thing that AI is often striving to mimic. But, there are areas where AI has an advantage. As much as we may try to view things fairly, we are all susceptible to bias. On top of that, our decisions can vary based on the day we've had and our level of fatigue.

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Since AI systems make decisions based on data and predefined algorithms, they can reduce errors caused by human fatigue or oversight. For example, AI-assisted diagnosis tools in healthcare can analyse medical images with consistent accuracy, potentially catching what a tired doctor might miss.

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24/7 availability

No one can work 24 hours a day, producing the same level of quality and productivity from the moment they started for days on end. AI can, though - without even a coffee. 

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This is especially useful in areas such as customer service, where people might be trying to access help or information late at night or in a different time zone. For this reason, many companies have chatbots on their website that can offer consistent responses at any hour and regardless of holidays.

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Enhanced safety

Some tasks are unavoidably dangerous and have to take place in hazardous environments. Rather than send human workers to complete these tasks at a risk to their health and even their lives, machines equipped with AI can be sent instead.

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For example, in bomb disposal operations, AI-driven robots can approach, inspect, and even neutralise explosive devices, keeping human experts at a safe distance while providing them with data and visual feedback. 

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By taking on these perilous tasks, AI not only protects human lives, but also enables more extensive and thorough operations in environments that were previously inaccessible for human workers, such as performing maintenance in the radioactive areas of a nuclear powerplant, or locating survivors in unstable structures after an earthquake.

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Cost saving

By taking over repetitive, time-consuming tasks, AI systems can significantly reduce labour costs while simultaneously increasing output and accuracy, leading to significant savings in various industries.

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For instance, in manufacturing, AI-powered robots can work around the clock, performing precision tasks with minimal errors, leading to reduced waste and improved product quality, while in the financial sector, AI algorithms can process thousands of transactions in seconds, detecting fraudulent activities more efficiently than human analysts, thus saving banks millions in potential losses.

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By reducing human error, speeding up processes, and enabling more accurate predictions, AI not only cuts direct operational costs but also minimises indirect expenses caused by mistakes.

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The cons of AI

With all these benefits of AI in mind, we’re not suggesting there aren’t drawbacks. Machines are probably not going to develop sentience and take their revenge on you for neglecting to say ‘please’ to a chatbot, but that doesn’t mean you can trust them 100%. There are many reasons people may be sceptical about the use of AI in certain fields. 

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Job displacement

As AI systems become more sophisticated, they are capable of automating a wide range of jobs that were previously performed by humans. According to a report covered in The Guardian, “almost 8 million UK jobs could be lost to artificial intelligence”, with women, younger workers, and those on lower wages the most at risk of displacement.

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There is hope, as Forbes argues that AI also has the potential to create more job opportunities in the long run. However, as Louis Stark pointed out in a 1940 article about “technological unemployment" at the time, "displaced wage-earners must eat and care for their families in the short run".

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High costs

Despite one of the pros of AI being its cost-saving potential, the development and implementation of AI systems often comes with a hefty price tag, presenting a significant barrier for many organisations, particularly small businesses. 

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The expense of acquiring the AI software itself is high, as are the costs of maintaining and updating the systems to ensure they remain effective and secure. On top of this, companies often need to factor in the expense of training their employees or hiring new staff to work alongside the AI systems.

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Organisations need to weigh the potential for long-term cost savings against the initial and ongoing costs of implementing AI to calculate whether it is feasible and worthwhile for their business.

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Lack of creativity

While artificial intelligence has made remarkable strides in data analysis, pattern recognition, and problem-solving within defined parameters, it still falls short of human capabilities when it comes to genuine creativity and "out-of-the-box" thinking.

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For instance, while AI can compose music or create art based on existing styles and patterns, it struggles to innovate in the way a human artist might, breaking conventions to create entirely new genres or movements. Moreover, humans can adapt their thinking to entirely new situations with little prior data, a skill that current AI systems have yet to master. 

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This creative gap underscores the continued importance of human ingenuity, especially in fields like scientific research, artistic expression, and strategic planning, where breakthrough innovations often come from unexpected connections and intuitive leaps that AI, in its current state, can't replicate.

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Ethical concerns

AI raises various ethical issues, from privacy concerns due to the vast amounts of personal data that AI systems often require to function effectively, to their potential for bias in decision-making algorithms. 

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For instance, a study by Obermeyer et al. (2019) revealed racial bias in a widely used healthcare algorithm that underestimated the health needs of Black patients. According to Science.org, the authors estimated that the number of Black patients identified for extra care was reduced by more than half due to the algorithm failing to consider unequal access to care. 

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These ethical challenges underscore the need for robust governance frameworks, transparent AI development practices, and ongoing research into fairness, accountability, and transparency in AI systems.

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Dependency on technology

As AI systems become increasingly integrated into everyday life, the risk of over-dependence on these technologies grows, posing significant challenges if they fail. For example, if an AI system responsible for managing traffic signals were to malfunction, it could cause widespread traffic chaos and accidents.

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Additionally, some believe over-reliance on AI could stifle humanity’s development of skills and critical thinking, as people leave more and more of their brain-work to the machines. 

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Simon Winchester, author of Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge - from Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic (HarperCollins), wrote for The Guardian “Our minds, it is said, will inevitably fall out of use, atrophying, or distending, whichever is worse.” However, he holds the optimistic view that “today’s algorithmic revolution [could serve] as a necessary cleansing, a movement by which we rid ourselves of all the accumulated bricolage of modern intellectual life”.

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As we've explored, AI presents a complex landscape of opportunities and challenges. While it offers great potential to enhance efficiency, cost-savings, and safety across various sectors, it also raises valid concerns about job displacement, dependency, and ethical implications. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of AI means we can resist the urge to compete with it, and instead find better ways of working collaboratively alongside it. 

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