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Technically Speaking

Read y or Not ,
Ready or Not,

HERE COMES

HERE COMES

AI AI

by Dave Trecker
ou can’t do much these days without running into artificial Not long ago PPG chemists, unable to devise a fast-drying clear
intelligence (AI), a boon or a bane – or more likely both. I overlay for automobile paints, turned to AI which in no time delivered
Y counted 8 articles on AI in a recent Wall Street Journal, an effective coating. Other AI-assisted formulas are in the pipeline.
and I probably missed a few. Judges, we are told, now use AI to summarize legal findings, draft
The big story recently has been the frightening fact that AI is opinions, conduct legal research. It’s early days in the courthouse
displacing American workers, stealing jobs, particularly routine ones and accuracy can’t always be counted on. But gradually AI is gaining
that can be done more efficiently and more cheaply by smart machines. acceptance.
But there’s another side to AI. A more encouraging side. In an interesting offshoot, Mercy, a new film, depicts a murder
It’s providing huge benefits. And not just to scientists. suspect whose case is being heard, not by a real person, but by an AI-
My daughter, a classically trained lyric soprano who became an generated judge. No kidding. Artificial intelligence is hearing the case.
MBA to earn a living, tells of positioning her company to deal with I’ve not seen the film, but I’m told it really grabs you.
banks in India. She enlisted AI to help and got a promotional piece Less sensational is everyday shopping made easy by AI chatbots.
that was terrible. She prompted AI, received a better write-up, and Amazon uses “Rufus” and Walmart uses “Sparky.” Sit at home and
after 4 or 5 iterations got a piece that was really good. “It saved a lot of crank through your shopping lists. No, I haven’t used it. I’m not there
time,” she said. yet.
AI has become a big deal, turning into what some think will Finally, there’s “AI and the Fountain of Youth,” a story about
become global survival – bare-knuckles competition between the U.S. Stanford researchers harnessing AI to predict outcomes of medical
and China. “Right now the U.S. is lucky,” says the WSJ. treatments of certain diseases. For example, a shingles vaccine was
“We have the best chips.” projected to reduce the risk of cognitive decline later in life. My wife
But it won’t always be that way. and I, always hopeful, got the vaccine last year.
To succeed over the long haul, the WSJ says, we need a We’re certainly not alone in trying AI. A majority of American
U.S. friendly regulatory system and massive amounts of power for our adults report using AI at least several times a week – younger folks
data centers – both green energy, high-carbon energy and everything more often than oldsters, men more often than women.
in between. We’re not there yet. But we’re getting close. The growth has been phenomenal. According to the Pew Research
And some pretty exciting stuff is starting to emerge. Center, usage has gone from near zero to 62% in just three years.
For example, AI routinely writes music, prize-winning songs. And, interestingly, some of the biggest AI innovations have come
Ten AI songs have charted recently, according to Billboard, ranging not from tech giants or big research labs, but from users at work or at
from tear-jerking rhythm and blues to rockabilly. “It’s scary how good home. The little guy is one of the biggest drivers.
AI music creation is getting,” artistic manager Jeremy Maciak was What’s the take-home message? AI is not just stealing jobs.
quoted as saying. It’s also helping to reshape the American workplace.
Using text-to-image AI programs, we dummies at home can We’re fortunate to be part of it.
now create vast libraries of pictures, nutty stuff like panthers wearing Dr. Trecker is a chemist and retired Pfizer executive living in Naples.
underwear and lightning coming from church pulpits. Birthday cards
will never be the same.

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