The Rise of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)

Artificial Intelligence is a field that involves computer science and robust machines that can simulate human intelligence. Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is a field that is ravaging our world and changing technology and life before our eyes. 

Artificial Intelligence is changing the dynamic of the workplace, our daily lives, and how people use and rely on technology.

Artificial Intelligence's Impact On the Workplace

As artificial intelligence begins to take shape and form in the way of robots helping to do jobs faster with less human error, many people are losing their jobs and struggling to make ends meet. The implementation of artificial intelligence has caused 14% of the workforce to be left jobless. This percentage is only growing as robots are being trained to complete many different jobs. Automation has proved to be the most silent but deadly job killer as the standard of living for Americans has dropped between 10%-15% because of the number of Americans left without jobs, leaving them unable to support themselves or their families.

Women have been disproportionally affected by robots and the automatization of jobs, as women are found to work jobs such as cashiers and clerical jobs such as receptionists or human resource assistants at a higher rate than men. However, all industries are affected by artificial intelligence, such as finance, law, the medical field, and many more industries. With automation changing the workplace and jobs drastically, the future workplace will require different skills and education. However, many Americans will need help with obtaining and gaining access to new information because of financial burdens and the inability to acquire these skills due to different personal reasons. With the influences of artificial intelligence growing, the gap between the rich and poor is growing even more substantially as artificial intelligence is one more problem Americans have to worry about when searching for a job and trying to support themselves and their family.

While artificial intelligence may be changing the working lives of many Americans, there are some benefits to having artificial intelligence in the workplace. For example, A.I. allows organizations to automate mundane and labor-intensive tasks so employees can focus more on important and complex work. It also helps companies cut unnecessary costs by reducing the number of workers needed to do a task. It does the job more efficiently and faster than a human helping complete tasks and significant projects faster. Although A.I. is altering the workplace, it allows employees to be more creative and focus on problem-solving without worrying about completing routine and easy jobs. A.I. helps enhance the workplace by making employees more productive and effective. 

Artificial Intelligence In Everyday Life

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere and constantly growing. Many of the technologies we use daily implement artificial intelligence, and we don't even realize it is being used. For example, face ID on our cellphones, voice recognition, and browsing on social media are all ways we interact with artificial intelligence daily. However, as these technologies are helpful and intriguing the constant question of how much do these systems really know about us and how much of our privacy is being sacrificed is a rising discussion and concern among many people.

The Rise of the Concern for Privacy 

Artificial Intelligence is constantly working to figure out and understand who we are as individuals, which is why privacy has become a big issue around the world regarding technology and the advancement of A.I. systems. A.I. technologies are working to take the uncertainty out of life, however in order to do this they must collect a massive amount of data and information on the people using the devices, and this frightens many people as the world is becoming more reliant on these technologies. Many worry about how much access major tech firms such as Meta(Facebook) and Google have to our personal data. 

With major companies such as Meta(Facebook) involved with the Cambridge-Analytica scandal it has left many people wondering if their personal data means anything to these major companies and with A.I. on the rise and able to pick up on more data than ever, it makes people wonder how protected they are and their personal data.

The Future is Artificial Intelligence 

Overall, artificial intelligence may have its pros ane cons, but it has proved to be the way of the future. With the implementation of A.I., companies have been able to complete projects and tasks faster than ever helping the world continue to be innovative and new ideas to be created. In addition, with the implementation of A.I. systems, consumers are able to have a more personalized shopping and internet experience overall because the system is catered to them and their interest. While this has raised some concern with the debate about privacy it has helped create a more individualized experience for users during their time on and while using the internet. Artificial Intelligence proves to be a technology that comes with pros and cons, but will inevilabitably shape and alter life as we continue to progress with technology.

EOTO: Public Policy Reaction

What is Public Policy?

Public policy is the principles that are usually unwritten on which laws are based. After watching my classmates do a presentation on terms associated with public policy, it sparked my interest as I am highly interested in politics and the foundation of our society.

Politicians use political ideas and terminology to appeal to the public and initiate change. Some ideas related to public policy are the Overton window and the spiral of silence theory.

The Overton Window 

The Overton window is a model for how ideas change over time with society as time passes. This window constantly shifts with different perspectives as society advances and becomes open to more topics and subjects. The Overton window is the range of ideas society is willing to accept, and this window is constantly changing as society becomes more accepting of new ideas. Politicians often try to use this window to their advantage appealing to the issues and policies they know society or people will accept. 

There is a common misconception that lawmakers can change or manipulate the window. However, this is not true. Lawmakers can only identify the window and move to comply or be in accordance with it. Since lawmakers can only identify where the window is, social movements must alter the window, and politicians must ensure policies comply with where the current window is. Where the window determines what ideas are willing to be accepted by society.

The Spiral of Silence Theory 

Have you ever been in a setting where you had an unpopular opinion or the majority's opinion did not align with your idea or beliefs? If so, did this cause you to remain silent and not speak about your stance? This theory is the Spiral of Silence and the idea that individuals will be more confident in their opinions and willing to speak up when they know the majority of a group also shares the same beliefs or opinions as them. In this theory, the vocal majority intimidates the opposing views into silence. It makes it seem like the majority opinion is the universal opinion of a group or society because others are less willing to speak about opposing views. This discourages people from expressing their true beliefs, and this is a problem because everyone should feel comfortable sharing their opinions and talking about what they believe in. It is essential for people to speak up about their thoughts and beliefs regardless of what others think because ideas must be challenged before being accepted by society.

The Importance of Public Policy 

 Overall, these concepts are essential regarding public policy. These terms allow society to determine what ideas or concepts ultimately shape societal norms and acceptable behavior among members of society. These ideas are important for politicians and people because they help identify the issues and topics important to society, allowing politicians to know what matters to target and how people will respond. They also assist voters in making informed decisions based on what ideas politicians use and evaluating how they plan to address issues.