We have gotten to a point in our society where advancements in technology are growing faster than we are able to keep up with. This can be prevented by slowing down development and doing research into what advances will have on the future.
Before I get started, I want to preface by saying I don’t think all advancement is bad. In fact, I think it is good in many fields such as medicine. The continuation of research and development into vaccinations, medication for diabetics or the cure for cancer are very important and I understand that there is a need for growth in those categories.
That said, I think there needs to be more precaution and testing with creating new technology, not the complete halt of it. With technology like Tesla’s Neuralink, a company founded by Elon Musk with the goal of creating an implantable chip that will connect the brain to a computer, or Waymo’s self-driving cars, there is not enough testing being done to feel comfortable enough to drive on the same roads as them, although limited to Phoenix, Los Angeles and the Bay area. Or to walk around knowing people could possibly have a chip inserted in their brain.
We need testing to ensure feelings of comfort and stability within society. The way it is right now leaves too much to imagination. There is no clear answer as to what impact these people or cars will have on everyday life.
There are already self-driving cars out on the road that are dependent on AI. There are cases of crashes and fatalities with Waymo’s, the most recent being in Arizona when a truck being towed backward was crashed into two Waymo’s, resulting in the first ever recall of one. We know they are underdeveloped, yet they are still on the road.
At least with human controlled cars, we know the consequences that can come from a crash and we can know mostly the reason behind the crash. However, with self-driving cars, there are too many reasons and possibilities as to why a crash happened. There needs to be more testing done in warehouses and not on open roads regardless of whether they are only being used in a few cities or not.
According to the American Bar Association, only 29 states have implemented any legislature for self-driving cars with 36 states having deployed them or in the process of testing. The safety measures are primitive and not yet ready to be widespread. I think until we have widespread laws and regulations against the vehicles, they should be kept off the road and continued testing be done.
AI in self-driving cars isn’t the only place where safety measures are limited. There are very few in place for jobs and the impact AI will have on that industry.
The safety measures that are in place don’t do enough to protect the lower class of society. A study done by the McKinsey Global Institute found that AI could eliminate 30% of the world’s current human labor needs. It also states that lower-wage workers are 14 times more likely to need to shift occupations than high-wage workers and that people without college degrees are twice as likely to be displaced.
While I do think jobs will eventually evolve from the push to automation, there is no certainty on how short or long the gap between then and now will be. Companies are advancing without thinking about the effects that it will have on the lives of everyday people.
We cannot wait and continue living with the idea that jobs will eventually arise. Instead, we need to make predictions and do research to ensure the stability of the workforce.
Humans as a collective group must hit the slow-down button on expansion and learn to live and interact with the technology we have today.
