The final question posed at last week’s Radio Days Ireland conference by Alison Healy of Today FM was, “Looking ahead to the next 5-10 years, are the panel optimistic or worried about AI and how it will impact the world?’
It felt like a question that could have been a whole conference in itself, but while I gave my answer, I’ve been thinking about it a lot since.
Hello and welcome to the AI Six podcast, where I give you AI insights, tips, and news in just six minutes a day. On a Saturday, it’s the long listen where I go into a topic with a guest in more detail.
Today’s episode is a bit philosophical. How will AI help or hinder the human race, society, and this world?
In answer to Alison’s question, I said I was very excited about how AI will help solve diseases, provide answers to big science questions, and provide an economic boost as we navigate this technological revolution. But I also said I was nervous about the bad actors who will leverage AI for their own gains, such as cyber criminality, disrupting democracy, and spreading misinformation.
Then I saw this TikTok from @yazandferas, and it made me think even more about our reliance on AI and what that could mean.
AI and our over-reliance on it.
We already know how much the world relies on energy, on the Internet, on data because we live in a world of interconnectedness. That is a cross-reliance and if one element stops or fails, whole systems can fail. Such is the case with cyber-attacks, energy outages, and in the future, Ai going rogue.
The Risk of AI
Potential Risks of AI:
- Existential Risks: Some experts, like Yoshua Bengio, warn that unchecked AI development could pose an existential threat to humanity. This includes the potential for AI systems to act in ways that endanger humanity or disrupt global systems.
- Malicious Use: AI can be weaponized for cyberattacks, misinformation campaigns, illegal surveillance, and even physical harm. AI models can provide step-by-step plans to create biological or chemical weapons.
- Loss of Control: Advanced AI systems, especially autonomous agents, can be unpredictable, and their actions might be harmful. Without human control, it might be impossible to stop an AI system acting inappropriately.
- Bias and Fairness: AI systems can perpetuate or amplify societal biases, leading to unfair decision-making in areas like hiring or loan applications.
- Job Displacement: AI is likely to transform a range of jobs and potentially displace workers, although the extent of this impact is debated.
- Systemic Risks: AI could undermine the credibility and legitimacy of institutions, exacerbate inequity, and fracture shared identities.
So, to answer Alison’s question fully, I am both hopeful and cautious.
Hopeful that AI will unlock breakthroughs in medicine, education, climate solutions, and creativity. That it will amplify human potential, not replace it. That it will help us solve problems we’ve long struggled with from disease to disconnection.
But I’m cautious because this technology doesn’t come with a moral compass. We have to build that in. The risks from misinformation to job displacement, from bias to weaponisation are real, and they’re already here. What we choose to do now will shape how the next decade unfolds.
The Next Chapter
We don’t need to fear AI. But we do need to be smart, ethical, and intentional about how we use it. We need policies, education, accountability and most of all, people working to ensure AI serves the many, not the few.
The future is still ours to write. So, we need more people working towards AI for Good than AI for Bad.
About the Podcast Host
Joanne Sweeney is a specialist in public-sector marketing and digital communications. She’s the author of Public Sector Marketing Pro and the creator of the Professional Diploma in AI for Public Sector Marketing. With years of experience in training, consulting, and advocating for digital transformation, Joanne provides insight and guidance for government agencies navigating the digital landscape. She is also the host of the award-winning Public Sector Marketing Show podcast.
