AI friend or foe? Unveiling the bright and dark sides to AI adoption

Under the microscope – Ensuring ethical practice 

Since AI produces its output based on data it receives, there is a danger that the training model perpetuates discrimination and bias if left subject to poor training. The outcome of this can be dangerous, leading to discrimination against particular social groups, societal unfairness and socioeconomic divides.  

So how do we solve this? Well, it falls into the hands of business and country leaders. 

Business leaders need to focus on creating ethical frameworks that support responsible AI adoption across their organisation, all the while training employees on what it means to engage in safe AI usage. On the other hand, country leaders must prioritise putting in place the right policies, regulations and rules, working together to ensure safe AI adoption on a global level.  

Adieu to security? The security conundrum 

The emergence of adversarial AI is causing strife for organisations and governments worldwide. Attackers are now leveraging AI to create sophisticated phishing emails, imitate employees and evade detection within security naive organisations. And it is working. According to a recent survey, 82% of employees are concerned that hackers are using generative AI to create virtually unidentifiable scam emails.  

More so, the rise of Deepfake has led to serious security ramifications. In fact, a recent report revealed that Deepfake has taken the lead as the most dangerous criminal activity due to its ability to seamlessly impersonate another individual’s identity.  

But this is only half the story. When leveraged correctly, AI can also be a used as an impactful tool for fending off cyber-attacks, and it can do this more efficiently and faster than capable by humans. 

Read more about defending your attack surface here. 

Say goodbye to your job, the robots are here? 

We have reached a significant inflection point in the workplace. The mass uptake of AI has enabled organisations to automate tasks readily while simultaneously benefitting from its advanced thinking capabilities.  

375 million people will be forced to switch careers by 2030 

A concern for all – will AI replace my job? We have already witnessed significant change in the workplace, with roles in the warehouse, data entry and customer service being axed by more efficient robots. According to reports, AI is expected to replace a significant 85 million jobs worldwide by 2025. 

While it’s also true that reports project an additional 97 million AI related roles will be created by 2025, the reality is that many employees lack the required technical skills to fill them. Thus, leaving them vulnerable if companies fail to invest in upskilling their workforces.