Hans Väre: Would I implant a chip in my brain?

Despite the endless discussions about artificial intelligence over the past few years, no one truly knows what it will ultimately bring. While it has the potential to be a valuable tool, it undeniably has a darker side. The only question is how significant and how dark that side will be, reflects Hans Väre in his commentary on Vikerraadio.
At the World News Media Congress held in Copenhagen at the end of May, artificial intelligence was a prominent topic for the second year in a row, discussed in nearly every panel and presentation.
Who should help journalists transcribe interview recordings? Artificial intelligence. Who should help come up with headlines? Artificial intelligence. Who should identify misspelled words? Artificial intelligence. Who should assist journalists in recognizing AI-generated forgeries posed as genuine recordings? Again, artificial intelligence.
In many areas, large language models, machine learning and other technologies broadly categorized as artificial intelligence can be immensely beneficial. The key principle is that every content creation decision should be reviewed by a human. The machine is never responsible. It's always a human.
Journalism outlets have been using artificial intelligence or similar technologies even before the advent of ChatGPT's large language model. Robots filled gaps in simpler texts, such as news about sports or economic results, sent out newsletters and adjusted the front pages of web portals based on the preferences of specific readers or trending content.
Generative artificial intelligence, capable of producing text, images or videos that closely resemble human creations within seconds, has brought about a significant change. Now, new ways to utilize this technology are continually being explored.
Media organizations around the world have varied approaches to leveraging creative AI. Sweden's Aftonbladet quickly adopted OpenAI's ChatGPT, using it to have Gustav I respond to readers' historical inquiries as a chatbot. On the other hand, Denmark's JP/Politikens Media Group decided from the outset to develop its own new-age deus ex machina to ensure control over the internal workings of the system and to prevent data loss.
Despite the endless discussions about artificial intelligence over the past few years, no one truly knows what it will ultimately bring. While it has the potential to be a valuable tool, it undeniably has a darker side. The only question is how significant and how dark that side will be.
Melissa Flemming, the United Nations under-secretary-general, noted at the congress that social media has already made the global information environment highly toxic, and AI could exacerbate this issue immensely. For example, it's very easy for robots to scrape information from news outlets, rephrase it and then spread it uncontrollably with some suitable half-truths or outright lies added.
According to the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, 30 percent of the audience gets their news, or what they consider news, solely from social media. At the same time, social media algorithms suppress not only links from news outlets but even from the UN, raising concerns about the extent to which truth can rise and falsehood can sink in such an environment. Despite this, most countries, including Estonia, struggle to even collect taxes from these social media giants.
Meanwhile, technology, both in artificial intelligence and other fields, is advancing at a pace comparable to a wildfire in a drought-stricken meadow. Whereas parents once had to decide when and for how long to allow their children into the digital world, now we increasingly face the question of how much and what kind of technology we should allow into our own lives.
A study indicates that 20 percent of journalists do not plan to use AI at all. For those in the information industry, complete abstinence is often not a practical choice. As former Washington Post and Boston Globe executive Marty Baron, known to many as the hero of the film "Spotlight," said: "Our industry is undergoing a revolution in both work organization and storytelling methods. We may not like it, but the audience does."
Many people are already using AI in their daily lives without even realizing it. Autocorrect, which not only underlines misspelled words in red but also suggests better phrasing options, is a prime example. It simplifies our lives, and most people don't even think about turning it off.
But would you allow a chip to be implanted in your brain, like the one developed by Elon Musk's Neuralink, to connect your mind to the internet? Most people would shudder at the mere thought if this technology were truly implemented. However, if you work in a highly competitive field that demands mental agility, and a competitor adopts this chip, you might reconsider your stance.
Consider the advantage a politician could gain by effortlessly extracting statistics from databases to support their arguments or debunk their opponents in a debate. Or a doctor who could compare symptoms with every medical case available online. Or a salesperson who never has to say, "That's a very good question, a very good question! I'm not exactly sure...."
Perhaps the fear of someone hacking into your brain won't be as terrifying as the thought of falling behind your competitors.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Marcus Turovski