Preparing for improbable futures: the role of AI in shaping tomorrow

Opinion by Andrei Craciun, Head of Digital Transformation and Data Analysis at West University of Timisoara

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant fabulation or a speculative technology of the future. It is already here, transforming both education and business in significant ways. While the concept of superintelligent machines may seem far-fetched, businesses need to understand that AI’s current capabilities are already driving disruption and will continue to do so in the coming years.

The current state of AI

Organizations often plan for multiple potential future scenarios, such as economic downturns, election results, and natural disasters. Planning for AI’s future should be no different. This is especially important given the diversity of opinions about AI’s future trajectory, even among AI researchers.

Despite the rapid advancements in AI, very few organizations are seriously accounting for the possibility of continued AI improvement in their strategic planning. This oversight could be detrimental as AI is not a future technology to be dealt with if it happens; it is already here and demands our immediate attention. The concept of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), an AI that outperforms humans at every task, is no longer a far-fetched idea. Many believe that achieving AGI in the near term is a realistic possibility.

It’s crucial to avoid focusing solely on the current theoretical potential for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), a hypothetical AI that surpasses human intelligence in all tasks. While AGI is a long-term goal for some AI labs, fixating on it can distract from the very real changes AI is driving right now.

Instead of getting caught up in debates about the distant future of AI, executives should focus on understanding the current capabilities of AI and how it’s already being used to drive innovation and efficiency in various sectors. For example, AI is already being used for tasks like automating repetitive tasks, personalizing learning experiences, or enhancing customer service.

AI: a $13 trillion opportunity with challenges

AI offers a significant opportunity to boost global economic output, but realizing this potential requires careful consideration of the associated challenges. AI is projected to increase global economic output by 16 percent, or approximately $13 trillion, by 2030.

However, this potential is accompanied by several challenges and ethical dilemmas:

AI raises concerns about privacy, bias, transparency, and accountability in both education and business. Key questions do include:

– How to ensure data privacy and appropriate use?

– How to prevent algorithmic discrimination and manipulation?

– How to ensure AI systems are fair, explainable, and accountable?

Successfully leveraging AI necessitates new skills for both employees and managers, including digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Rather than blindly adopting AI, a more effective approach involves framing its implementation around addressing specific challenges. This involves shifting the conversation from “Can we use this technology?” to “We will use this technology for X, in the way Y, to solve Z”. This emphasizes a strategic and targeted approach to AI adoption, ensuring it aligns with specific organizational goals and effectively addresses existing challenges.

The emergence of AI presents various ethical challenges, social consequences, legal questions, and security concerns. In business, it prompts considerations regarding privacy, consent, bias, clarity, responsibility, and confidence. The ethical ramifications are significant, leading to real-world impacts that require new governance structures and rules to monitor and assess AI’s uses and impact. However, regulatory measures must also encourage innovation and creativity, enabling the growth of AI solutions that are ethical, advantageous, and inclusive.

AI in education

Artificial Intelligence provides answers to many urgent challenges in the field of education, including tailored learning experiences, increased access, heightened interaction, improved evaluations, and cutting-edge advancements. However, it also poses significant challenges, including issues related to ethics, skills, quality, and governance. For instance, while AI can streamline the ideation-prototype-interview cycle in education, achieving in seconds what takes students months, it can also introduce biases, errors, and ethical dilemmas that need to be carefully addressed. Moreover, AI can disrupt the existing roles, expectations, and relationships of educators, learners, and other stakeholders, requiring new skills, competencies, and mindsets to adapt to the changing educational landscape. Additionally, AI can create new opportunities and demands for emerging roles, such as AI educators, AI developers, AI ethicists, and AI evaluators, who need to collaborate and communicate effectively across disciplines and domains.

Preparing for multiple possible futures

Organizations need to plan for all possible futures rather than just picking one official future and sticking with it. This approach, known as scenario planning, allows organizations to examine how their strategies might change in different future worlds. Advances in technologies can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, making it essential for organizations to remain adaptable and forward-thinking.

To remain competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape, executives must:

– Understand the potential impact of AI on their specific industries. AI has transformative influence on sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, education, and finance.

– Identify areas within their organizations where AI can be leveraged for greater productivity, innovation, and customer satisfaction.

– Focus on developing and enhancing their employees’ skills to succeed in an AI-centric landscape, highlighting competencies such as AI and big data analytics, innovation, and tech savviness.

– Develop strategies for attracting and retaining talent with expertise in AI and related fields.

For me, it is clear that AI will play a pivotal role in shaping the world of tomorrow. The potential benefits are immense, but so are the challenges. By understanding the current state of AI, its economic impact, and the ethical and social implications, we can better prepare for the future. Organizations must adopt a flexible and comprehensive approach to planning, ensuring they are ready for whatever the future holds.

Artificial intelligence transcends mere digital transformation; I am convinced it’s an agent of extensive change in various industries. In charting this intricate terrain, we must weigh pioneering advancements against moral imperatives to foster a development that is both cutting-edge and ethically grounded.