The AI Tsunami Might Hit Us Sooner Than We Think

Artificial intelligence is a very broad field. The article mainly focuses on the impact of generative AI models, which have been widely discussed since the breakthrough success of large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT. It groups the possible effects under 5 headings. The headings already summarize the topic:

Wave 1: Massive job losses

This is the most discussed and most important topic. In short, companies that are not agile (that stay away from these technologies) will be unable to compete over time and will disappear. Those that keep up with the technology will first achieve a big increase in productivity and later be able to perform some functions easily without human resources. In other words, they will shrink over time. Still, this is the slowest of the 5 waves.

Wave 2: An overflow of high-quality digital content

The article predicts that people who write copy, design graphics, produce videos and so on will be able to produce more content. Users without the skills for this kind of work will also be able to start producing content. As if that were not enough, models that can copy the style of popular content creators will appear, and are already appearing. The production of this content may also become automated.

Wave 3: An explosion of fake content

"As with Wave 2, the “tsunami point” could come when the automated, decentralized creation and spread of sophisticated deep fakes of photos, videos, music, voice messages, video calls and so on becomes possible at essentially no cost. On top of the overload of quality content from Wave 2, this could create a level of confusion our societies are not ready to cope with."

Today, content spreads very fast. It can take a very long time before an expert realizes that content is fake. Or the expert may not be able to reach everyone the fake content has reached. In fact, we saw a simple demo of this in our recent elections. There was content everywhere that was not real and that smeared opponents. If you imagine this being AI-powered and far more intense, you can understand what this wave could cause.

Wave 4: Major disruptions in global supply chains

Isn't this an interesting wave? It is hard to grasp at first. It can be summarized with this sentence: "Almost every process in global supply chains relies on digital communication in some way. If most common communication channels suddenly became unreliable, it could take everyone in the world some time to adapt."

"The economic consequences of disrupted supply chains tend to hit the poorest hardest, but they can also affect the availability of goods in rich societies. As we saw in the Covid-19 pandemic, this can further spread a sense of uncertainty and fuel selfishness."

Wave 5: A global mental health crisis

This concept is a bit complicated. If you understand the points above in detail, it is clear that this will be the result.

Now for the summary and a recommendation

AI is coming very fast. That is what the term "tsunami" refers to. Most experts cannot yet fully predict what this arrival may cause. I have a comment I use when explaining digital transformation: changing the way we work.

Yes, we all need to change the way we work. What the future holds for us is unclear. Both as companies and as individuals, we need to be better equipped and better prepared. And the first step is this: training is a must 😊

Sources

https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/digital-workflow
https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/workflow-automation
https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/3488966

https://www.thisone.earth/p/the-ai-tsunami-might-hit-us-sooner