I'm Sorry It Will End In Tears- AI!
As everyone knows on Wealthy Affiliate, there's been a terrific amount of talk about AI and how it can help our online business. In fact, it's not just being talked about on Wealthy Affiliate, it is being talked about everywhere!
I have already put up a couple of posts about AI, even though I know very little about the subject. I have been going through Kyle's course to try and gain a bit more information about how the AI works and how it can help. You can see the link to Kyle's course below, there are four parts, I haven't finished the course yet. It is certainly great to learn from someone who has already experimented with AI.
https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/classes/series/using-artificial-intelligence-ai-to-power-up-your-onl...
There also seems to be a huge amount of excitement about the subject of AI, I must admit I'm not that excited about AI. I can see there are some benefits and that it can be helpful. However, I can already see the downside of AI and where it is potentially heading!
My biggest concerns are how quickly AI is developing and how it could potentially change everything. Just recently Geoffrey Hinton who was apparently the Godfather of AI has stepped down from Google. To be fair, he is 75 years old, so that could have some bearing on why he has stepped down. He fears that the growth of artificial intelligence could lead to killer robots that are smarter than humans. He also said: “It is hard to see how you can prevent the bad actors from using it for bad things.
In another quote, Geoffrey Hinton said.
“The idea that this stuff could actually get smarter than people – a few people believed that. But most people thought it was way off. And I thought it was way off. I thought it was 30 to 50 years or even longer away. Obviously, I no longer think that.”
The above quotes were taken from the Daily Telegraph, but I do see where Geoffrey is coming from.
In another article that I read in the Daily Telegraph, it mentioned that Alibaba and Baibu have both launched AI systems. If you ask them how their country is doing, it will tell you that communism is steering the country to peace and prosperity!!! No country under communism can have peace and prosperity!
My personal concerns are that in a very short time the AI will be able to tell you the cheapest place to purchase products. So there will be no need to come to smaller websites like the websites members of Wealthy Affiliate are creating.
Videos and photographs will be able to be created which are fake, but will look real. I saw an example of this just a few days ago, it is amazing, but at the same time quite alarming in how it can lie to people.
I've also thought about children and teenagers who can do their homework using artificial intelligence! I was someone who didn't enjoy school, I would have absolutely loved using artificial intelligence to do my homework! However, I would not be learning anything.
Even yesterday looking at the news regarding the drone that attacked the Kremlin, the video and explosion didn't look quite real. Was it real, or maybe it was just propaganda, who knows?!
However, I do feel that AI will bring along so much fake news and information, that it will just cause even more confusion than what we are seeing now! I appreciate that used properly AI could be very helpful, but, it won't be used properly!
I actually hope that I am wrong, but let's see what happens. It will be interesting to see what other members think. I do appreciate that it appears from my previous blog posts that many of you are using AI very wisely, I'm not sure how long this will last though!
I look forward to reading your comments.
Roy
Recent Comments
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Besides affiliate marketing, I write for companies in the tech and AI industries. I was formerly an electronics engineer. So, I understand AI or particularly machine learning/neural networks.
There are reasons why such companies, amongst them global enterprises, still prefer human writers in content creation.
No doubt, AI has come a long way, and large language models (ChatGPT) are very useful. But they are either too perfect or imperfect.
As affiliate marketers, we'll need to evolve with whatever challenges come along away.
Personally, I'm neither for nor against AI.
Like every technology, it will replace jobs.
The question is, how do we remain viable and leverage AI for our sake?
Will search engines or large companies use AI to recommend products and compete with smaller sites?
Most probably, they will. In fact, Google is already recommending products under Shopping.
And if larger sites can use AI to drive traffic to the lowest-price store, what's stopping affiliate marketers from doing so?
Eventually, someone will build an AI recommendation engine (if they don't already) and pitch it to marketers.
Good morning Kenny,
I appreciate your input to my blog post and wise words; thank you.
Yes, I hear you, it's good to evolve with technology and the various challenges that they bring. I'm not really against AI; I'm just concerned that I think it will be used by some people for more harm than good. However, I have been wrong before!
I actually think technology is fantastic when it's used in the right way! The Internet, for example, has brought so many benefits to many of us, especially online marketers!
An AI recommendation engine sounds like a good idea! Let's see what happens.
AI is creating many discussions on Wealthy Affiliate, it helps people like me learn from these discussions. It's an interesting topic!
Wishing you all the best.
Roy
PS: I just took a quick look at your profile, well done for achieving so much. It's always good to hear a success story.
Good morning Roy.
Like you, I'm also concerned, but those are beyond our control.
Bad actors will always leverage technologies, AI or not.
I'm also working with cybersecurity clients. It's a cat-and-mouse game between cyber criminals and the good team.
Lastly, thanks for your encouraging words. I'm still learning, failing, and growing today.
And I wish you success in the AI-dominated era.
Hello again Kenny,
That's very true indeed, wise words again!
That must be a very difficult game working with cyber security clients, that must be a new learning curve every single day! However, it's a good thing to do to try and stop the criminals!
It's a pleasure, Kenny, it's always good to hear about people moving forward. I think the majority of us are in the same position, some moving quicker than others.
It's amazing how much you can learn just from writing a blog post. It's always interesting to hear about other member's experiences etc. So other words, I continue to learn about AI!
Roy
I won't classify myself as an AI expert, but I do feel I am slightly over the average in what I have been learning on the topic for my technology clients. Not trying to pat myself on the back, it's more to set the stage. I work in technology which causes me to be focus my attention on latest developments as much as I can. I still have A LOT to learn, though, and it does change quicker than it ever has.
I have taken some coursework with Professor Andrew Ng who was one of the founders of Google Brain (their AI division). He is considered to be one of the forefathers of the modern AI movement, i.e., the reemergence of AI technologies now that we have the proper supporting technologies, like the cloud and computer processing power. Those were the missing ingredients that prevented massive investment in the field since the 1950s.
I bring up Andrew Ng, because he believes the fears are overblown. The hypemasters are making a lot of money by driving fear into the masses. That's how people make money - when they cause people to fear, they now have the upper hand in getting you to perhaps buy their solution so that you'll be more ready when the bad stuff comes.
Employers like to use the fact of replacing jobs to get more out of their employees.
Salespeople like to say their products have "AI" in it knowing full well that most people don't know what that means. They just know that AI is better than humans, according to all the spin doctors.
Another factor is that Elon Musk is trying to convince everyone to slow down the development of AI. Yet, he's going full force in developing AI. Take that however you want.
Do people like Hinton, Ng, and Musk know the future? Nope. I don't, you don't and none of us do. But I do know that throughout history we've gone through this song and dance and in each case, many more jobs have been created. But just think about how many have been created since the internet came about. Wealthy Affiliate is living proof of that.
The car displaced the horse and buggy drivers but at the same time is largely attributable to creating the middle class. People had the freedom to seek employment anywhere they wanted, rather then be confined to the towns they grew up in.
Should we fear AI? Absolutely. And it will displace jobs. But those who embrace the techologies are likely to find themselves in better positions to find new work. Just look at prompt engineering. It didn't even exist a year ago. Does it pay $300,000+ US? Probably not. I think that's hype. I saw a prompt engineer job being list at about $50,000 the other day. (US dollars, BTW).
Another few factors that people have to consider is if all our jobs are displaced because of AI who will purchase the products that are produced by AI? Even universal incomes that governments may provide won't be enough to sustain us. It's highly unlikely that the rich can sustain an economy on their own. They would no longer be rich. Besides, they wouldn't have the purchasing diversity needed to keep expanding economies.
Also, we have yet to solve the energy requirements that AI will burn. Maybe AI itself will help there, who knows. But we're not there yet. If you haven't heard, AI burns some massive energy. Some will claim they are net zero whenever they run deep learning algorithms like ChatGPT. Do you believe big companies when they make claims? I don't. And there will be plenty of countries that have less regard for finding sustainable energies whether you factor in AI or not. China is ahead of us on AI development and from all the things I have read, they aren't energy efficient.
Anything is possible. But even if we lose all our jobs, we would probably get back to the days of localizing our communities, buying products and services from our neighbors because we won't have any choice but to do so. And is that really a bad thing?
I am not trying to offer false hopes. I just want to help put things into perspective. It is scary and we do need to try and learn as much as we can to recognize what is hype and what is real.
Best regards,
Jim
Hello Jim,
Thank you so much for your very comprehensive and interesting answer! It's always interesting to learn from people who are in the know and have knowledge of the subject!
I do here where you are coming from, Jim, so many things have changed in the past 100 years or so. Just in the village where I live, my grandfather was a carpenter and worked for a wheelwright's. He made the wooden wheels for the carts! How times change, he would be shocked now if he was on this earth!
There is a terrific amount of deliberate scaremongering and hype going on in this world, often for other people's benefit! It's interesting about Elon musk, who knows!
AI is certainly a very interesting subject.
I don't know if I have ever seen you blog at Wealthy Affiliate? Actually, I've just gone over to your profile and I see you have some very interesting blogs! Let me rephrase that, maybe you need to start blogging on the platform as I believe you have lots of knowledge to share! I'm sure members would appreciate it.
All the best to you.
Roy
If AI ever conquers niche sites, I guess we'll just have to bid farewell to our online businesses!
And if it all comes crashing down someday, I'll always cherish the memories of the glorious three-year, non-stop adventure to Southeast Asia with my wife while earning money from my site. Ah, those sweet, sweet days!
So, for those who are just starting out, there's still time to seize the day before we're all engulfed in a sea of Artificiality LOL
Hello Stefan,
Thanks for taking the time to comment, it's appreciated.
I really hope I am wrong, however, I think that AI has the power to do the things that many people believe would not be possible!
Good for you for making it happen, Stefan! Long may it carry on and long may you carry on being successful! Also, sometimes we just have to carry on regardless and keep pushing forwards and make the most of it!
Enjoy your weekend.
Roy
Hi Roy,
I just posted about how exciting Chatgpt is as a tool for us - but actually I do agree with you too.
It's exciting right now while we leverage it to our advantage, but that doesn't actually mean it's a good thing for the future.
I believe it will lead to a strange future, full of issues which we can only imagine right now. Who knows where it will end up. . .
Thanks for the interesting read!
Soraya :-)
Hello Soraya,
That's interesting, did you post on the Wealthy Affiliate platform, I will try and have a look!
I know where you're coming from, ChatGBT can be a great fun thing to use, but it can also give some very amusing wrong answers! But like you, sadly, I don't think it will end well. I could say more, but it's not appropriate on the platform, being an online business training platform.
Wishing you a great weekend.
Roy
Hi Roy,
Yes, it was just on my WA blog.
It doesn't take a lot of imagination to know that there are huge changes coming up around us, maybe not all good and yes, it's probably not the right place for too much in depth info/ranting lol!
All the best to you,
Sotaya
Good morning Soraya,
I have just commented on your blog post, it's an interesting post. It really looks like you are making the most of the AI and are using it properly, which is fantastic! I've actually asked your question, regarding using AI, you will see it in the comments area.
It will be interesting to see what happens with AI and how it progresses. I hope I'm wrong and that AI continues to be a really useful tool.
Wishing you a great day.
Roy
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Great points here. When customers get frustrated that the information AI gives them has flaws, they may have second thoughts about relying entirely on AI to find out where to make purchases. AI may be a starting point, but I feel intelligent customers will do their own research. It's hard to predict the future but we in affiliate marketing can also use AI for our own benefit too.
Cheers.
Edwin
Hello Edwin,
I hope you're doing well. I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
It's an interesting subject, and it certainly appears that Wealthy Affiliate members are making the most of the AI technology.
Yes, that's a very valid point about intelligent customers doing their own research, that could be very true.
Have a great day.
Roy