Halfway through an academic venture, is it not daunting to hear that one’s degree may not have any value in 10 years? Even 5 years? This is the impending news that many students and workers are discovering in regards to artificial intelligence and its rapid evolution in the sectors of countless industries. From medicine, to law, to education, and the creative industry, a fear of artificial intelligence’s capabilities and uncertainties is to be expected. However, can our perception towards artificial intelligence actually benefit everyone if we learn to view it as a companion rather than a competition or enemy? Within the context of an academic setting and that of the creative industry, it can be argued that artificial intelligence should be embraced as a method to elevate one’s skills and capabilities within an industry, rather than avoided, due to its assistive capabilities, imperfections, and personal value. If one continues to fear and dismiss its vast influence, it may only set individuals behind while it may become an opportunity to move forward when used correctly.
Potentials in Assistive Capability
One of the major concerns regarding artificial intelligence (AI) is the threat of jobs being automated or overtaken. With such openly accessible tools such as ChatGPT or Dall.E, academic institutions and creative industries are wary of how AI may be producing content that is more efficient, refined, and original; thus replacing them as a worker. For example, anyone can produce imagery on ChatGPT in the style of whomever they choose. As an artist who has had their artwork and style similarly reproduced through an online image generator, Kayla Ortiz asserts in the New York Times how “that data is my artwork, that’s my life. It feels like my identity.” Kayla’s frustration is ultimately understable, however, one must realize that AI is simply reproducing ideas based on algorithms, not originality. Content that is beyond what an AI can reproduce in terms of medium, originality, and usability, will be more valuable than the content reproduced by AI. AI can be of assistance to eliminate more tedious tasks, ease creative blocks, or summarize large sums of qualitative or quantitative data like user research within the design industry. With tools such as Dall.E, rather than fearing they replace art, “artists [can] use them as the foundations of creative projects that might still involve traditional mediums like painting and illustration” (Small, 2023). In fact, a report from MIT Sloan regarding AI in the workplace across varying sectors reports that 60% “of respondents feel that AI tools are like a coworker — not the response you might expect about AI systems that, according to some media hype, will displace these workers” (Ransbotham et al., 2022). AI can greatly reduce time in tedious tasks or spark the beginning of creative projects; and a sense of reassurance should come if individuals use AI tools effectively to elevate their skills and originality, as the beauty of AI is that it is far from perfect – an element that individuals can use to a great advantage.
Imperfections and Inaccuracies
Another common fear is that students or creators may have an overreliance on AI since it produces results that are seemingly satisfactory. While AI may seem like it does an impressive job at analyzing thousands of pages or creating images within seconds, it must be noted that this content is reproduced rather than produced, and that AI is still very capable of writing inaccurate content, with bias, and still curates errors in any format it is being used and should not be overly dependent on. For example, researchers at the University of Technology Sydney conducted a study where ChatGPT was used to replace the role of a designer, user, and product in a theoretical project. The study found that the results produced by the AI “may require fact-checking [17] or need to be used by people with sufficient domain knowledge for reliable use” since “in terms of domain knowledge, LLMs’ [ChatGPT] information accuracy is debatable” (Kocaballi, 2023). The need for human’s input and expertise is further validated by researcher and assistant professor Partha Pratim Ray at Sikkim University, who notes how since algorithmic content is ultimately reproduced from other content, it can still be affected by bias. “AI language models like ChatGPT might generate text that is not always accurate or reliable. Ensuring that the generated content is factually correct and consistent with the given input is a critical challenge, particularly in applications where accurate information is essential, such as news, education, or healthcare” (Ray, 2023). Indeed, it is valid to think that students or creators may over-depend on AI, as Ray also highlights that “there is a risk of overreliance on them, leading to a reduction in critical thinking and independent problem-solving skills among researchers.” However, it can be determined that the technology has proved itself to not be accurate or reliable in crucial parts of any domain; industries and academic institutions can use this opportunity to highlight the need for knowledgeable individuals, and to teach workers and students how to identify and address unreliable information in order to continue teaching critical thinking skills. A knowledgeable worker alongside an efficient tool can become an extremely valuable asset, both for an industry and personally.
Personal Value
While individuals may think that companies will benefit from using AI rather than human employees, it must be realized that both companies and individuals gain value when viewing AI as a partner or tool to work alongside, rather than a competition to avoid or overcome. The MIT Sloan study notes how workers do not appreciate tools “that make them feel ineffective, inefficient, or useless” (Ransbotham et al., 2022) which naturally evokes the fear and anger of replacement in academic and creative contexts. However, the MIT Sloan study found that “respondents who report that their organization obtains moderate, significant, or extensive value from AI, the vast majority (85%) claim that they personally obtain value from AI” (Ransbotham et al., 2022). Essentially, this highlights that companies realistically benefit from AI when individual workers do as well; and the individual value is not diminished by AI nor the company. Methods of obtaining personal value with AI include feeling a greater sense of competence and confidence, a greater sense of autonomy by using AI to make better decisions, and communication and connection where AI aids in elevating workplace relationships. (Ransbotham et al., 2022). As mentioned previously, the reality is that current workers do not feel threatened by AI when they view the tool as a partner. The same model of thinking can be considered within academic settings and the creative industry; AI can be used to build confidence in areas where skills have yet to be developed, can relieve stress in repetitive tasks, and help guide individuals to make better decisions in the future. If one builds a good relationship with AI and learns to obtain value from it, the influence of AI is no longer as intimidating.
All in all, the assistive capabilities, imperfections, and the personal value obtained by artificial intelligence within academic settings and creative industries renders it worthy of embrace rather than rejection. Ultimately, it is natural to feel intimidated by the rapid evolution of new technologies in every sector of our lives. Nonetheless, perhaps learning to work alongside AI is becoming the next requirement in the workplace; and as with any new coworker, we must learn to work together to move forward as a whole.
References
Kocaballi, A. B. (2023). Conversational AI-Powered Design: ChatGPT as Designer, User, and Product. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/368540586_Conversational_AI-Powered_Design_ChatGPT_as_Designer_User_and_Product
Ransbotham, S., Kiron, D., Candelon, F., Khodabandeh, S., and Chu, M. (2022). Achieving Individual — and Organizational — Value With AI. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/projects/achieving-individual-and-organizational-value-with-ai/
Ray, P. P. (2023). ChatGPT: A comprehensive review on background, applications, key challenges, bias, ethics, limitations and future scope. Internet of Things and Cyber-Physical Systems, volume 3, 121-154. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266734522300024X
Small, Z. (2023). An Art Professor Says A.I. Is the Future. It’s the Students Who Need Convincing. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/arts/design/ai-art-class.html