AI As A Tool
What AI Looks Like Day to Day
AI is an ever-evolving field, it seems that every day there is something new in the works. The topic of AI can get pretty complicated pretty quickly. So, realistically, what does AI look like for everyday use? Well, it might be right under your nose. There are a lot of things that we use every day that are powered by AI behind the scenes. Search engines, navigation systems, and digital assistants are just a few ways AI slips into our everyday life. You may not even realize that the autocorrect on your instant messaging is powered by AI. Even with all of these great uses, AI can still pose a threat if we don’t know how to properly use it.
Common Uses
Not all AI is the same, in fact there are a few important distinctions between the types of AI. Narrow AI is what we run into most often. It can perform tasks and fulfil requests, but it can’t learn. Examples include Siri or Alexa, facial recognition, and chatbots. General AI can learn and think. Advanced Chatbots and self-driving cars are both general AI. This type is as far as we have come, the self-aware AI that we see in Sci-fi is still out of our reach, but it is called Super AI.
As a tool AI can be used in all sorts of ways. One of the most useful ways in the workplace is planning out or editing work. For example, Grammarly is commonly used as a text editing tool. It can give you writing suggestions and corrections for any piece of text you write. You may also be accustomed to using a Chat GPT to help you write out emails or plan out a project.
Keep in mind that the importance of knowing how to safely use AI cannot be understated. The biggest rule to follow when using AI is minding your inputs. AI that can learn, learns from your inputs. So, any information you share is now in the hands of that AI provider. This is why we want to make sure we don’t input any sensitive information. This is especially important when using AI for work. Confidential information about your employer should never be given to AI. Keeping your personal information very general when using AI is the best way to make sure you aren't sharing things you shouldn’t be. Just know that once you put information into AI it is no longer private. Most AI platforms make users agree to their information being used as the provider sees fit.
Cyber Criminals and AI
Unfortunately, just because you use AI safely doesn’t mean you are exempt from it being used maliciously against you. AI has become so accessible that hackers and scammers have begun to use it to advance their attacks. Phishing hacks have been made all the more believable with AI. It allows scammers to send error free messages that look and sound like they are from a legitimate user. Even those annoying scam calls could be utilizing AI. Often these scams originate from non-English speaking countries but with AI their English can sound flawless.
Deepfakes are another terrifying way hackers use AI. Deepfakes are images, videos, or audios that are digitally manipulated by AI so that they appear to be a specific person. Celebrities and politicians are the most common target. Hackers use deepfakes to spread misinformation or make someone appear to say or do something they didn’t. We can only imagine how detrimental this could become if kept unchecked. On the positive side, deepfakes can be used in legitimate ways like entertainment. Most notably deepfake technology was used to bring Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher back to the Star Wars Universe.
AI is also being used in password hacking. Hackers can easily try millions of combinations in no time at all thanks to AI. This is why complex passwords are more important than ever before.
Keeping Yourself Safe
The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to protect yourself. We have talked about several ways this month already.
The most universally helpful advice when it comes to AI is that being aware and able to recognize a potential threat is the best tool you have in your arsenal. Stopping an attack before it happens begins with understanding that there is always the possibility of a threat. So next time you think AI attacks are confined to the big screen, think again, it can happen to anyone.
