Another demise of computer society looms

Let’s “Make America 1987 Again.”

That’s my campaign slogan. No, I’m not running for president. I’m promoting less use of computers and the internet. Go ahead, laugh at me for even thinking that. But I’m confident when no one is looking, you wonder if your social media page will be hacked, email compromised or bank accounts cyber-stolen. We didn’t have those problems in 1987.

The more technological advances we make, the more problems that come with it. And more was on the way until the right people said to stop. I hope it was the right people. But I’m not confident it will stop.

High-tech representatives from Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, said tech companies should “pump the brakes on giant AI experiments.”

AI, the abbreviation for artificial intelligence, is the development of computer programming where the program can solve problems, similar to like people have always done. I applaud the high-tech people for recognizing the issue and asking for a break for further research. Has enough damage and doom been created because of our beyond-addiction and obsession to having virtually every aspect of life tied to a computer and or the internet?

Some of the results of our online life can be fixed or corrected. But how much deeper do we want to wade in the pool and potentially create more challenges?

According to LinkedIn, “A letter published by the nonprofit Future of Life Institute states that large-scale AI projects “can pose profound risks to society and humanity” if not properly managed. Des Moines Area Community College’s computer system was taken over. An East Coast pipeline company’s system was taken for cyber ransom. There are other examples.

Our technological advancements have had consequences, unintentional or not. Social media has provided some lighter problems as I know of high schools and graduates who have lost interest in class reunions because they can contact the people on regular basis through those social media sites. Yes, that has been a benefit of social media. I have reconnected with others that way.

But it’s sad to me a lack of interest in seeing others around a table sipping lemonade and catching up on life. You hear the laughs. You see the tears. You are supported or comforted by the handshake or embrace at the end.

Our online lives have more serious challenges. For years, teachers in high school and colleges are learning how to detect if a student’s term paper, for example, is plagiarism and purchased from the dark web, but developed enough for the reviewer (teacher) to think it’s not stolen material.

While researching my column, a person I follow on LinkedIn had a short video about having AI create her image for her LinkedIn account. She had an AI program do just that, and I won’t deny it, some of the samples looked very much like her. I won’t go far as to say it was an identical twin, like the Murray brothers who played basketball at the University of Iowa. But the work was solid enough to make it look like it was a real person. Photoshop has some super-serious competition now. Before former President Trump was arraigned, there were already pictures created to make it look like he was in a physical confrontation on a New York City street. It looked real enough to believe.

The statement also calls for AI developers to “work with policymakers to accelerate effective governance systems, including a new regulatory authority dedicated to AI.”

I’m curious. What situation will require AI technology to require levels of governance and regulation? I have so many questions to ask but the advancement in our technology is so far ahead of me creating even more questions. I will never catch up.

Call me old fashioned. Call me ignorant. Call me not wanting to stay with the times. But don’t call me on your smartphone if it was charged at one of those public charging stations as the FBI said those can be manipulated to access content off the phone.

Thirty years ago the 1993 “Jurassic Park” action movie debuted where science turned recovered DNA into recreating dinosaurs. All it needed was additional DNA from an everyday frog to complete the recreation. The fictitious story was easily a headline getter. Genetic scientists then said it was a fun idea for Hollywood but it can’t be done. You’d still end up with a frog.

A character in the movie highly questioned the intent of the park. “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”

I hope the AI people will stop long enough to think hard enough.