Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is a rapidly advancing technology that is becoming increasingly integrated into our daily lives. From virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa to self-driving cars and personalised recommendations on streaming platforms, AI is everywhere. But what exactly is AI, and what is its social impact?
AI itself has been around since the mid-20th century. Alan Turing, the founder of computer science, is considered the father of AI for his work in algorithms and computation (The Guardian). At its core, AI is a branch of computer science that aims to create machines that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and perception. Deep Learning, a subset of AI, is the fundamental core of AI. It involves algorithms that mimic the way the human brain works, making connections and solving complex problems. However, the inner workings of these algorithms, also known as "Black Box," are not fully understood, leading to concerns about bias, inclusivity, safety, and trustworthiness (Transparency and the Black Box Problem: Why We Do Not Trust AI).
Despite these concerns, AI has the potential to bring about positive societal changes. It can be used to detect fraud, diagnose diseases like cancer faster than doctors, create virtual medical rooms for training, simulate flights, and even build immersive virtual worlds like the metaverse. These applications of AI have the power to improve efficiency, save lives, and enhance human experiences.
The rapid and widespread use of AI in sectors of society demonstrates its transformative power. However, this widespread adoption also brings about a significant risk – a risk of AI being used with bad intent. This risk is very real and already happening in various forms. One of the most concerning ways this risk is materialising is in the realm of cybercrime.
Harnessing the powers of AI, cybercriminals can commit cybercrime with sophistication and scale like never before (Tech Monitor). They can use AI to automate attacks and bypass security measures. AI can even mimic human behaviour, creating deepfakes and using voice cloning to deceive and scam victims (Money Week). For this reason, AI poses a significant threat to people and has social repercussions.
AI is making scams seem so realistic making it harder to spot a potential scam. This is worsened by the fact that 13 million people have low digital capability and lack the knowledge to recognise the difference between what's real and what's AI-generated, and lack the digital skills to be cybersecure (Lloyds Bank UK Consumer Digital Index 2023). This vulnerability means there's an increasing likelihood of more and more people falling victim to scams and cyber-attacks. But it’s not just those with little to no digital skills who are affected by AI-fuelled cybercrime. The current cost of living crisis has meant that individuals are facing financial hardship, and this has resulted in digitally capable people falling victim to online scams if the scam promises to relieve their economic burdens. Again, this is made worse by AI-fuelled scams being so realistic, so even someone with some digital capability struggles to spot a scam.
To tackle the threat of AI-driven cybercrime, it's essential to boost digital literacy and offer in-depth digital training. This means educating individuals on how to stay safe online, spot signs of a scams, create strong passwords, and much more. By providing this training, people become empowered to confidently navigate the digital landscape and protect themselves from potential scams. To empower people with digital skills, We Are Group specialise in managing Digital Skills Training programmes for clients and delivering them remotely or face-to-face to their client’s customer base. One example is the Digital Helpline, a Digital Skills Training programme that We Are Group manages and delivers for Lloyds Banking Group. The Digital Helpline supports thousands of people each year, providing tailored training and giving people the digital skills they need to get online and stay safe.
It's clear that AI is a powerful tool with the potential to bring about both positive and negative social impact. But by promoting digital literacy and teaching digital skills we can ensure people are protected from the perils of AI and, more specifically, AI-driven cybercrime.
To learn more about AI and its impact, listen to our Artificial Intelligence podcast featuring Professor Karen Elliot, Chair of Practice in Finance/FinTech at the University of Birmingham Business School, who delves into the origins and implications of AI and how businesses can leverage technology for positive change.
