Blog Post Eight: The Age of AI

Introduction

The Age of AI is a documentary about a look at how artificial intelligence is developing and a display of forward-thinking creators. Artificial intelligence is a collection of numerous technologies that work together to give robots the ability to see, understand, act, and learn at levels of intellect comparable to that of humans. It's possible that this is the reason why different people define artificial differently: AI encompasses a variety of concepts. AI is capable of learning to become more sophisticated and can store an enormous quantity of data that humans are unable to comprehend. The panorama of AI includes technologies like machine learning and natural language processing. Each developing along its own trajectory and, when used in conjunction with data, analytics, and automation, can assist organizations in achieving their objectives, whether they be enhancing customer service or streaming the supply chain. Although the exponential growth of artificial intelligence only started in the mid 1950s, I believe most people could not survive without it. 

Positive Impact

AI has enormous economic potential. Throughout the history of technology, it has contributed to the world's expansion, improvement, and growth. It is constantly being improved to function more intelligently, quickly, and effectively. New discoveries made by artificial intelligence have the potential to progress humanity beyond our wildest dreams. The most difficult board game in the world, AlphaGo, is featured in the documentary film. 

They displayed one of the top AlphaGo players in Asia competing against an AI program, with the human player only outperforming the machine once. For those who are familiar with the game and are aware of the tactics and abilities required to win, this was both extremely thrilling and terrifying. The AI could come up with brand-new moves that no one had ever considered before. It is absurd to consider how fast artificial intelligence can solve and advance problems that took humans decades to master and create. This has a lot of advantages for creativity and discovery. 

Negative Impact

It will widen the economic gap in society and increase inequality. It will eliminate jobs while giving the owners the entire profit. As a result, the bulk of our middle and lower classes are now unemployed or have no other means of support. Changes in how we intend to distribute the capital from artificial intelligence will have an impact on society and lead to a conflict between capital and labor This has happened at numerous factories as well as during our daily lives. Advances in technology have allowed machines to replace human labor in production. Additionally, routine professions like grocery store checkouts have been replaced by machines along with factories. 

AI is a tool that will work for whoever controls it; if it is used maliciously, it poses a threat to civilization. Computer scientists, for instance, are comparable to those who have called for nuclear war. These technologies are so simple to get into the hands of someone who want to do us harm.

Security and Privacy 

When it comes to privacy and security, everyone is reluctant to know the truth; there is no real privacy when it comes to technology. Artificial intelligence is aware of many details regarding our private lives. We've grown to numb the idea that they could be exploiting our information for good or bad since it's become such a common occurrence. We now take it for granted that since AI has raised our standard of living, it will always act in our best interests. Although there is some truth to this, we must be aware that artificial intelligence can and will be employed to invade our privacy. Whether we are conscious of it or not, once our privacy has been violated, the people who possess that information have complete power and control us. 

The farther the algorithms come into our lives, the more uneasy we should be. The world is attempting to become more tailored to you thanks to these computers, but this is the time when you need to remain vigilant and maintain control over your surroundings before businesses try to take control of you. Because social media sites use us, social media consumers are not users; attempting to manipulate us and our material to gain an advantage and profit. The private human experience of surveillance capitalism is promoted  as a free source of raw materials used to forecast human behavior. Numerous companies for-see our actions. They claim that behavior predictions are removing ambiguity from life to cast artificial intelligence in favorable light. AI is gathering as much information as it can about you. We all leave a digital footprint or digital exhaust wherever we look, and computers use this data to infer the interest of users. Companies, with your consent, are aware of your movements and where you have been gone. This frightened me, learning more about all of the access the internet and certain platforms have to your private and personal details in your life.

Reflection

One of the things that I learned is that there are different types of AI, narrow and general. The majority of what we encounter in daily life is narrow AI, which completes one task or a group of closely related tasks. The weather app, digital assistants. and software that analyzes data to improve specific business function are all examples of weak AI. These systems are strong, but their scope is limited because they are frequently drive by efficiency. However, when used properly, limited AI has tremendous transformative capacity and continues to have an impact on how people around the world work and live. General AI is more akin to the sentient computers that you see in science fiction movies that can manage a variety of challenging tasks and can reason strategically, abstractly, and creatively. While some tasks can be completed by machines more efficiently than by humans, this fully realized general AI vision is still only a fantasy on the silver screen.

Collaboration between humans and machines is essential since, in the modern world, artificial intelligence still serves to augment rather than to replace human abilities. This surprised me in the way that our world is vastly developing more and more each day and certain machines have so much power like a human being. Overall, technology has evolved into a tool of control rather than liberty. Awareness, erasing our past, and minimizing the quantity  of information we share so openly are some ways to combat this. We must take control before artificial intelligence can rule us and we cannot be reckless with our privacy. 

Blog Post Seven: Diffusion of Innovation

     Created by E.M. Rogers in 1962, the Diffusion Theory is a method for understanding the progression of new innovations. His theory breaks down the path a new innovation takes from idea through to a point where the general population can't recall when it didn't exist. He put forth the concept that new ideas, products and even habits follow the same pattern of spreading through a social system. Within a population the people fall into five categories: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and finally laggards. To best understand each category, let's follow the course of a product as it becomes diffused into society.

    Innovators are the risk takers. They are the first to try new products or adopt new ideas. In the case of the electric car, the earliest of innovators actually existed back in the 1800s. The first versions of the electric car date back that far. In fact, in the early 1900s they accounted for about gas and steam powered counterparts. However, the electric car got buried when Ford introduced the mass produced Model T. This made gas powered cars cheaper and easier obtain. This first round of electric cars fizzled out. 

    However, when gas prices began to soar in the 1960s and 70s and an electric car was driven on the moon's service innovators circled back to this solution. Once again, it was a short lived return. The electric cars most of us are familiar with today really began their path to diffusion in the 1990s. Legislation ignited the modern innovations in the electric car with the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment, California's new emission restrictions, and the 1992 Energy Policy Act. Automakers began focusing efforts into modifying their popular models into electric vehicles. Although, the general population drove on in their gas powered cars as the innovation took place behind the scenes. 

    Mainly scientists and engineers were aware of the progress being made. It is hard to know if these innovators were driven by the cool technology or an actual interest in reduced emissions. A small niche population became obsessed with EV1. Then 2000  the Prius was introduced by Toyota, worldwide. It was the first mass produced hybrid electric vehicle. 

    Early adopters is the group that is excited by new technology and their belief in the new product drives them to try and establish the product's utility to society. The Prius found early adopters in celebrities like Leonard DiCaprio and Jennifer Aniston. Many of these adapters drove the car as a political message t the world that they care about the environment and are willing to adjust their lifestyle to do their part.

    The early majority is a group of people who pave the way for the use of a new product in mainstream society. Between 2004, when Elon Musk invested in and helped establish Tesla in San Carlos, California, and 2010 when chevy released the Volt and Nissan the LEAF; the early majority jumped on the electric car bandwagon. However, the biggest hurdle facing the electric car industry was a lack of charging stations readily available throughout the US. This infrastructure required time and money to give the late majority the comfort level they would need to make the switch from gas powered or hybrids to fully electric cars. 

    The late majority is the section of the population that waits for the early majority to work out the kinks of a new innovation before following their lead in adopting it into their daily life. With the Recovery Act the Energy Department earmarked over $115 million to build a nation-wide charging infrastructure. By 2014 there were more than 20,000 charging outlets. This made it easier for more of the population to rely on an electric car for their daily commute. Better performing batteries with longer charge range, more power, and durability have made electric vehicles more affordable as well. In addition, Elon Musk  became a pop-culture phenomena and his Tesla stands out as the most popular electric cars. They look most like gas powered cars, include cool technology  that makes driving more enjoyable, and are very powerful. Tesla probably single-handily did the most to more electric cars toward the mainstream. Today you'd be hard pressed to stop at a light in any given US city and not spot at least one Tesla waiting with you. The electric car will not advance to the next stage of diffusion until more of the general population transitions from gas to electric cars. 

    The laggards are the section of the population that lag behind the general population in adopting innovative idea or products. It will probably still be quite awhile before the majority of the US population is driving electric cars. Unless there is a gas crisis or another issue that makes the electric car significantly more cost effective for the average American, this transition will take more time. As much as we may feel like we see electric and hybrid cars all around us, the electric car has not completed the path to diffusion. According to my research, less than 1% of the 250 million vehicles on the road in the United States are electric. But from my personal experience, a majority of people from the earlier generation would much rather rely on the type of transportation they've known growing up.

When deciding to go electric, looking at the pros and cons is a necessity. When it comes to pros, the performance and responsibility is a big part of being a Tesla owner and driver. The newer electric vehicles are insanely fast and powerful. They also reduce emissions.  Less maintenance required, regenerative breaking means the vehicles use mechanical breaks less, and there are fewer moving parts to break without a combustion engine. The cons do take a toll, with the battery requirements and charging a car can become inconvenient at times. Batteries currently have a shelf life of 10 to 12 years and cost thousand of dollars to replace. Not to mention, when batteries come into contact with saltwater it can cause them to become flammable. Charging stations also are not readily available outside of cities. depending on what type of life a person has from work to destination, owning a Tesla or electric car could make or break your life. 

    If I were to place myself in a group, I am a part of the late majority in that I drive a hybrid. I'm not yet ready to go electric. I don't even know where on campus I could consistently park and know I would be able to plug in and be fully charged each day. For me the pros don't yet outweigh the cons. My brother is fully on board and loves driving a Tesla so much, he sometimes goes for long drives without knowing a destination in mind or even just to listen to music. He is able to charge his car daily because he still lives at home with easy access. He may like his car less if he can't take it to college due to lack of charging access. 

Blog Post Six: Bluetooth

 Although everyone is familiar with the "Bluetooth" brand, we often overlook its importance and how much it affects our daily lives. We depend on bluetooth technology to free us from the constraints of wired technology in everything from smartphones to headphones and beyond. An existence without wireless technology is difficult to imagine. Instead of being an extraordinary luxury, being able to manage music, send data, or run appliances from a single device is an everyday requirement. Bluetooth has unquestionably improved life. The technology isn't as new as you would believe, though. With a lengthy history, Bluetooth and other wireless technologies have developed into the dependable features we use today.

Bluetooth is a radio wave-based short-form communication system. This means that if radio hadn't been invented, Bluetooth wouldn't exist as it does today. Before Reginald Fessenden sent the first long-distance broadcast of human speech and music from a Massachusetts-based station, radio transmission was only possible using Morse code dots and ashes. Around 1910, entertainment-focused broadcasting got its start, and radio music stations are still around today. The popularity of radio has ben impacted by music streaming services, although Bluetooth technology is built on radio waves. 

The most current Bluetooth upgrade was released in 2017. With Bluetooth 5.0, the protocol has made some key enhancements to better accommodate contemporary technology. With recent technological developments, Bluetooth may now be used to communicate files, control some smart devices, and stream high-fidelity audio, even higher compression rates than CDs or vinyl. 

To communicate wirelessly over short-range radio waves, we frequently use Bluetooth. And if it weren't for the advances made by researchers in the 1800s who realized that electromagnetic radio waves can transmit wireless signals, this technology wouldn't exist. Almost all smart devices today use Bluetooth technology, and some have even done away with the traditional headphone port in favor of entirely wireless headphones. 

Blog Post Five: Antiwar

 One of the numerous news stories influenced by politics is the anti-war debate. Because so many people in society did not want to hear about other people's differing beliefs, they frequently ended up in jail, especially during the Progressive Era. Due to the First Amendment's protections and the freedom of speech, it created a problem. For a variety of reasons, America did not want to deal with antiwar sentiment. Because the US attempted to silence those who hold these opinions, many people are unaware of some subjects covered on ANTIWAR.COM.

One reason the government is big on war is the fact that it is a lucrative industry. The combative labor organization Industrial Workers of the World War I staged more than thirty free speech protests in the United States between 1907 and 1916. Local law enforcement officials were angered by the inflammatory, pro-union, anti-capitalist speeches of socialist and anarchist speakers. Even though succeeding anti-war groups, like those of the Vietnam Era, have attracted more scholarly and public attention, the narrative of the first American anti-war movement of the 20th century is significant for its tremendous organizational and ideological evolution over the duration of World War I. Tho opposition to World War I began with the pacifist movement in the early 19th century. The anti-war movement of 1914 was far from being a populist mass movement and was initially dominated by Progressive establishment politicians, important businesspeople, and upper-class intellectuals. 

Americans still argue today over what free speech is, who is entitled to it, and how it should be defined. The American Civil Liberties Union (A.C.L.U.) keeps busy protecting and preserving the individual rights and liberties that are guaranteed to all Americans by the Constitution and laws of the United States in courts, legislatures, and communities around the country. 

Blog Post Four: Paper

Before there was paper as we know it, communication took the form of images and symbols painted on cave walls, carved into tree bark, and written on papyrus or clay tablets. Chinese inventors advanced communication some 2,000 years ago by creating fabric sheets to preserve their text sketches. The first paper was created by Ts'ai Lun, a Chinese court official, in LeiYang, China. Ts'ai most likely made the thin mat by combining mulberry bark, hemp, and rags with water, pulverizing the mixture into pulp, pressing out the liquid, and hanging it to dry in the sun. This is how paper as we know now, came into being.

About 300 years after Ts'ai's discovery, in the 8th century, the knowledge reached what is now the Middle East. The introduction of paper making to Europe, however, took another 500 years. The first paper mill was constructed in Spain, and soon mills all over Europe were producing paper. Paper was then utilized for printing important books, bibles, and legal papers as it was significant quantities of paper, and for many years, it provided the colonies with paper. The first American paper mill was eventually constructed in Pennsylvania in 1690.

Initially, American paper mills produced by shredding leftover rags and clothing into individual fibers, a Chinese technique. However, when the need for paper increased, the mills switched to using wood fiber instead of cloth since it was less expensive and more readily available. Paper is now produced using recycled paper and trees cultivated in sustainability managed forests. Making paper has always included recycling. Paper mills will use the used paper you recycle to create new notebook paper, paper grocery bags, cardboard boxes, envelopes, magazines, cartons, newspapers and other paper goods.

Paper has the special advantage of being appropriate for handwriting and printing. Paper revolutionized trade and business as well. Chinese merchants and dealers received the first paper money in the form of promissory notes backed by precious metals in the 13th century. Along with adding the much-needed degree of safety, it offered a strong, portable substitute for moving bullion. The widespread use of paper money or banknotes eventually led to an exponential rise in the volume of both domestic and international trade, establishing the groundwork for the linked global financial system we have today. 

Paper has seen a remarkable revolution in terms of form, production, and use during the past over 2000 years since it was created in ancient China. While the amount of printed copy in circulation has decreased due to the widespread use of digital media, recycling has become a significant component of the paper manufacturing business, and banknotes may soon become obsolete due to electronic payments. Despite all of this, paper has remained a constant in modern life and will do so for a considerable amount of time to come. Many people still favor the texture of a book or printed newspaper nowadays. They value the closeness that comes with reading a handwritten note or invitation card when it is enclosed in an envelope. The natural choice for mind mapping, doodling, and jotting is paper. It is the origin of some of the most influential concepts in human history, and it will always be the preferred laboratory of the most inventive minds. 

Blog Post Three: You do You

There are eight values of freedom of expression including Marketplace of Ideas, Participation in Self-Government, Stable Change, Individual Self-Fulfillment, Check on Governmental Power, and Promotion of Tolerance, Innovation, and Dissent. Although each value plays a role in our idea of freedom of expression in the United States, I think Promotion of Dissent and Individual Self-Fulfillment really resonate with me most.

In many countries you cannot express your dissent in the highly public and outlandish ways in which Americans choose to do. For instance, during the "Metoo" movement, there were a number of parades across the country where women proudly walked around with crocheted vaginas on their heads. Many of these parades were protests against Trump being elected because of his treatment toward women. This Business Insider article revealed how over half a million protestors marched in DC in support of women and against Trump.

Someone even put a miniature vagina hat on the former President Trump in the form of a bobble head. Creative expression at its finest.  

Now only a few years later the same hats that unified women in their fight for gender rights is now seen as inappropriate and offensive to wear as it excludes people who identify as female but were not born with the correct genitalia. It can be difficult to promote dissent through freedom of expression when acceptability is so fluid. 

If national level protests are too confusing, another option is to focus your efforts locally in a smaller community. Protests don’t have to be taken to busy city streets to still make their point to millions. In an article by youtango.com the author shows how two high school students revealed gender inequality in the school’s dress code. A male and female student both wore a cropped shirt to school, revealing their mid section. 

 

They recorded reactions from students and teachers throughout the day. At the end of the day, the female student was written up for violating the dress code while nobody said anything to the male student. The Tik-Tok video went viral and hopefully teachers in a number of schools took pause before correcting a student's clothing choice.

I’m grateful to live in a country where people can feel free to be themselves. Sometimes they are not expressing themselves as an act of protest but rather as a way to make money and gain popularity. Another value protected by the First Amendment is Individual Self-Fulfillment. A well-known example of this is the Naked Cowboy often seen in Times Square in New York City.  

Robert John Burck has been the subject of many articles, a documentary, and has appeared in numerous movies and television shows, He is as much a part of the New York City landscape as Times Square itself. Since 1998 he has been slipping on his patriotic painted briefs, cowboy hat, boots, and guitar to entertain and pose with tourists. At the time of publication this article by Roadtrippers, reported Burke's annual income at $150,000 before including any money made from endorsements deals, his book, and three albums. I can’t think of a better example of using freedom of expression for self-fulfillment.

Granted our founding fathers probably didn’t have the Naked Cowboy, cropped shirts, or vagina hats in mind when they drafted the First Amendment, but it would be interesting to hear what they thought of these implementations. Although more on the extreme end, I believe these are great modern examples of how in the United States you can protest your president and dance in the streets in your underwear without fear of retribution from the law. 

Sometimes you can do both at the same time.

 

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Blog Post Two: Supreme Power

 What I found most interesting about the Supreme Court article on History.com was how recently some of the laws were passed. Specifically, that it was only in 1989, Texas v. Johnson that flag burning and offensive speech became protected by the first amendment. Although, controversy over kneeling during the national anthem was in the news frequently during my high school years. I'm sure that this amendment was what the kneelers relied on to protect their right to protest their civil rights in this manner. 

I also was shocked to learn that same sex marriages were not legal across all fifty states until Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 and that there have only been 115 justices to ever serve on the Supreme Court. This puts the justices in a very elite group. The important take-away point in this article is the power the Supreme Court holds in determining civil rights that impact our everyday. Personally, I didn't pay much attention to the Supreme Court and its rulings until this past summer when they reversed Roe v. Wade. 

As a woman, I find it unconstitutional that anyone can tell me what I can or cannot do with my own body. This change also reinforces the notion that politics and political agendas heavily influence the laws in our country. The ruling party at the time of appointment can have a major impact on civil liberties across the nation. I've never had an interest in politics, but if anything would make me want to get involved it would be over the right for a woman to choose.

Blog Post One: Five News Sources

To be honest I purposely do not make any great efforts to follow the news. It's not that I don't care about what is happening in the United States or globally. I blame Covid lockdowns for my lack of desire to seek out news sources. My parents often had the news on during the day as we all tried to make sense of what was happening and how it would impact us. The images of body bags stacked in streets, overcrowded hospital ICUs and graphic descriptions of exactly how Covid could kill me was overwhelming. My siblings and I began to ask my parents to please turn it off. Seeing how awful life was for everyone across the globe was frightening and depressing. We were already upset at missing school, activities, and our friends. This desire to avoid the sad and horrible stories depicted in the news has not left me. Therefore, my main news sources are probably social media such as Tik Tok and Instagram.

Most recently I've been interested in the strategic and brilliant ways in which Taylor Swift uses social media to promote herself and her music. She recently released her latest album, Midnights, using these platforms to build up the suspense and hype. Every two to three days she would select a ball from a bingo cage to randomly announce each new songs title. She released these videos on Tik Tok, to keep her fans on the edge of their seats. Brilliant marketing. 

I follow one of my favorite authors, Colleen Hoover, on Instagram. Through her I learn about the release of her latest books, where she is making author appearances, other books she recommends, and updates on which books of hers will be made into movies. 

I recognize that books and music may not be considered news to many people, but these are parts of my life that I can share with my friends who have common interests. News of this variety makes me happy rather than depressed. Some may call this living in denial, I call it my own drug free anti-depressant. However, if I do want to know more about something I learned on social media or more serious topics, I seek out news sources I grew up hearing or seeing. My first choice would be NPR especially because I can listen to it while I drive. I often take long road trips and NPR also sometimes has entertaining stories or segments like Moth Radio Hour. This segment includes funny, serious, shocking, and sometimes heartbreaking stories from around the world.

If I wanted to look up a particular subject such as the war in Ukraine, I would probably look on BBC or CNN. BBC tends to have a more global perspective on news stories while CNN tends to be more US oriented. Either I can easily access for free and learn more about national or international events. One final note is seeking out news stories on a more personal level. In that case I would search the specifics in Google and likely be taken to a more localized news source. I recently learned of the death of a high school student from my mom's small hometown, Cuba, in western New York. I immediately googled the story and read the horrific news in the online version of the local paper.