Written by Intern Yzekiel Rivera
When an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated image of Pope Francis in a white puffer jacket invaded the mainstream media, it revealed a lot about the indistinguishable reality we perceive.
Illustrated by Intern Fiona Tumagan
At first glance, the so-called ‘Balenciaga bishop’ would not come across as something contentious or even problematic. The image produced of the head of the Catholic Church was merely for entertainment or a test to see the extent of believability. According to Vincent from the Verge, the image garnered attention on social networks on Friday, March 24, immediately becoming the subject of debunking. Look more closely into the photograph, and you would see errors: certain smears and blurs that would take AI some time to perfect.
However, it is not the image that primarily worries journalists and researchers. Rather, there is grave concern about the digital consumption of our society. Perception, as it seems, can be dictated by what we see and how we feel about it. If AI is to take control of menial tasks, what is next? While scrolling past a picture of the Pope in a Lamborghini wouldn’t be necessarily dangerous, it provides a glimpse of our consumer society.
As we would have it, AI has already been a matter of debate among ethics professors and philosophers. According to Downes, a senior research officer within the National Research Council of Canada, the application of ethical principles to AI is complicated as there is no common agreement as to what it really should be. In the foreseeable future, we will need to impose ethics on society, as AI may already be an extension of our own ethics.
Artificial intelligence, even with its current rough edges, may become an instrument of opportunity — or a weapon left unchecked. In the medical field, wearable healthcare technology serves as an instrument of opportunity — or a weapon left unchecked. In the medical field, wearable healthcare technology serves patients better. Its ability to consolidate patient insights into large databases helps create a more productive field. In information technology (IT), writing the codes for certain functions eases the job.
On the other hand, a report produced by investment bank Goldman Sachs indicates that generative AI could replace the equivalent of 300 million jobs. Though this is ultimately productive for the world economy and may even create avenues for new jobs, it can also set a dangerous precedent. A quick-paced transition may open industries vulnerable to mass unemployment and could affect millions of families.
In the University of the Philippines (UP) community, there have been allegations of academic dishonesty over the use of AI — even receiving coverage from the digital publication Daily Guardian. Although AI provides for more conducive learning, this tool may hinder critical thinking skills — something that is so badly needed these days.
More than the active and responsible use of AI, there is a call for media literacy in today’s society. With the rising engagement of machine learning and further improvements in AI, our technological capabilities are only as good as our ability to evaluate them.
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