Use, Misuse, and Abuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has many uses and potential misuses. This post presents some examples of how AI can be used, misused, and abused and its potential consequences.

Seeing the World Through Our Lens

It all started when my imagination was triggered by a cloud formation of an image in the azure sky that looked like a giant face peeking out from behind a building. Immediately I captured that image with my mobile phone camera on 31 May 2024 at 18:21hrs.

It goes without saying that what we observe in the sky depends on the way the image is visualized, conceived, and interpreted by us. This in turn is shaped by our background and life experiences.  That is, our ability to see, hear, and become aware of the image, through the limits of human senses, creates different perceptions on different people.

AI: A Creative Tool

Inspired by what I visualized in the photo, I used an AI tool (Google Gemini) to generate ideas for a poem. Of course, the poem is not a verbatim reproduction of what the tool came up with. I used the different drafts it produced as a springboard to come up with my own creative spin. Naturally it is infused with my own imagination, and my own style of writing. The idea was to try out how AI can be used in a creative manner. Here is the outcome:

Cloud Face

The cloud above, a dreamer, lost in thought?
With eyes and nose and rounded cheeks,
A smile, perhaps, or maybe a frown,
Depending on what mood you are in.

The puffy white against the azure sky,
A fleeting form, that gently glides,
The wind it blows, the face it shapes,
For us to drape, our fancy thoughts.

So next time you look up in the sky,
And see a face drift on by,
Take a moment, let your troubles fade,
And dream a story, with your imagination.

(see the related Facebook Post)

AI: A Double-Edged Sword

While this is a positive use of AI for creativity, we are all aware of how it can be misused in harmful, destructive, and deceitful ways. For example, there is a video of an interview of Bill Gates where he was accused of stealing DOS and Windows Software and making money by promoting COVID-19 vaccines. However, this video is created using Deep Fake AI, which is a type of AI used to create convincing images, audio and video hoaxes. Read how this hoax video was created: 
Journalist Accuses Bill Gates of Stealing Microsoft Software?

As another example illustrating the abuse of AI, see how OpenAI company's safe and beneficial AI tool, ChatGPT, is exploited to generate pro-Congress and anti-BJP content to influence the just concluded 2024 Lok Sabha Elections in India:

It is not just a case of being aware, but rather we are the ultimate victims of the dishonest misinformation that we are subjected to, day in and day out, by the news and social media. This is more true especially in the present scenario of general elections in India. Today, for example, the general public is unable to comprehend the truth behind various issues: the corruption and money laundering allegations against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, similar allegations against Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, the assault allegations of Swati Maliwal against Kejriwal's Personal Assistant, allegations of poll-related violences against West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, etc.

Truth or Fiction? A Global Struggle

This rather depressing and unhappy scenario in India, where you are severely restricted in perceiving the truth, is not very different from what is happening in other parts of the world. Consider the current events in the United States (Trump's historic felony conviction), in the Middle East (Israel - Hamas conflict), or in the Eastern Europe (Russo-Ukrainian War): various happenings that have been going on for months and years. Whether it's political scandals, international conflicts, or even wars, misinformation is a global issue. The manipulation of information makes it difficult to discern the truth.  We're bombarded with information designed to sway our opinions, leaving us to wonder: can we ever truly know the truth?

World of Fabricated Reality

In short, this constant barrage of misinformation, unleashed on us to influence our opinions and impressions, adds to our tensions in an already bitterly polarized world. It leaves the larger question - will we ever know the truth? With all the modern technological tools at our disposal, are we condemned to live in a fabricated world where truth has no relevance? 

The ancient wisdom of Vedanta, which says the world we live in is nothing but an illusion (Maya), seems more appropriate today than ever. See my earlier two posts on related topics:



Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

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