In recent years, there has been significant growth in the development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). These technologies are no longer limited to university research labs and are now a topic of widespread discussion.
Like many other countries, Malta has already launched its AI strategy and the European Union is expected to unveil its AI regulations in the coming months. A growing number of businesses and individuals are finally taking notice of the many benefits that AI can bring.
But a few months ago, an exciting AI tool was released called ChatGPT and it’s been making waves ever since. Developed by OpenAI (a company founded by Elon Musk), ChatGPT reached a human level of understanding and processing, putting it almost at par some university students.
What makes ChatGPT so appealing is its human-like replies, cost (free so far), and ease of use. Unlike many other AI-powered tools, which can be complex and challenging to understand, it is accessible to anyone. Such an approach has led to a rapid adoption rate, with over one million users trying the tool in the first week of its release. It has been such a success that OpenAI is today valued at $29 billion.
One of the key advantages of ChatGPT is its ability to analyse text, summarise articles, extract key points and rewrite them concisely. This makes it an invaluable tool for anyone looking to quickly and easily understand complex information, whether it’s a news article, research paper or technical document. And this is just the start! In the coming months, we expect to see the release of GPT4, a tool rumoured to be 1,000 times more powerful than the current version.
But as AI technologies continue to improve, it is essential to consider the impact that they will have on the workforce. In particular, there are growing concerns that many jobs traditionally done by humans will be automated. These technologies will negatively affect jobs involving secretarial duties, data input, information processing, customer care, risk analysis and many others.
Others might not lose their job but will see their position change through the automation of repetitive and time-consuming tasks, thus allowing them to focus on more meaningful work. As ChatGPT and similar technologies become more widely adopted, there will likely be a growing demand for data scientists and AI professionals. Such AI models also have the potential to revolutionise education by providing students with a wealth of information and resources at their fingertips.
However, it’s also important to consider the potential adverse effects, such as over-reliance on these models which could undermine critical thinking skills. University lecturers worldwide are already sounding the alarm bells and educators at lower levels will soon start facing these challenges.
In the end, it will be crucial to balance the benefits of these models with the need to promote critical thinking and independent learning among students. After all, one should not forget that these models are not perfect and, even though they are rather impressive in most tasks, they fail miserably when faced with logical questions.
Today, we are living in the dawn of the AI revolution.
While massive opportunities are on the horizon, there are also significant concerns. Thus, it is crucial to start working from now to upskill and reskill the workforce and teach students to harness the power of new AI tools correctly.
To remain competitive on the global scene, Malta must prioritise and invest in the development and implementation of AI.
The country’s true competition is not AI itself but, rather, those countries that embrace and proficiently use such technologies to gain competitive advantage.