What excites me about AI

What gets me excited about artificial intelligence (AI)? The fact that we can engage in discussions about its pros and cons and decide for ourselves how to use this transformative technology, which keeps institutions and industries both thrilled and wary.

We talk about AI far more than we did about the internet when it emerged in the mid-1990s. Back then, conversations were primarily led by internet providers and telecommunications companies regarding what was then considered new technology.

On AI, one such discussion took place in Cebu on Friday, September 20, 2024, during a forum-workshop titled “Artificial Intelligence in Community Journalism,” organized by Stet (Women in Cebu Media) for Cebu Press Freedom Week 2024. Jaemark Tordecilla, the guest speaker, highlighted the opportunities AI presents for newsrooms and educational institutions. Tordecilla is a 2024 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University and a former editor-in-chief of GMA News Online. The event attracted media workers—journalists and IT—as well as faculty and students from five universities in Cebu.

Tordecilla introduced various AI tools such as ChatGPT, which assist with transcription, translation, photo and video editing, and even song creation from scratch. He also addressed the critical issues of transparency and accountability in AI, which can lead to bias, misinformation, copyright violations, reputational damage, privacy invasions, deepfakes (altered images, videos, or audio created using AI), and cheapfakes (similar to deepfakes but produced using conventional methods).

At the time of the internet’s emergence in the mid-1990s, there was considerable reluctance to understand its impact on industries, media, educational institutions, and more. Some in media dismissed the disruption caused by the internet as fleeting and trivial, confident that newspapers—and the printed word—would endure.

They were mistaken. We know this now, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic when audiences were compelled to shift to digital platforms due to movement restrictions. Many in media were unprepared.

This lack of preparedness was evident across various sectors until they were forced to adapt and ultimately embrace digital transformation—often at a higher cost than if they had started early.

The situation with AI is different. Since ChatGPT entered public consciousness just over a year ago, numerous training sessions have been conducted, and discussions have explored the myriad implications of AI and other large language models (LLMs) capable of processing vast datasets.

When people talk about AI, there’s always a chance that someone would call for a ban to avoid its pitfalls. The common response would emphasize the need to understand how AI can do more good than harm; then the conversation continues.

That is what excites me about AI: the ability for people to engage in discussions far more extensively than we did during the internet’s birth. Training opportunities and forums are plenty as AI seems to be an attractive or “sexy” topic for funding agencies and organizations.

Let’s continue talking about AI.