Artificial intelligence has become the biggest tech upset of the 2020s. It’s a door into the future, bringing us ever closer to the science fiction promises held up for generations. At least, that is what the marketing hype tells us. In real life, the use of AI is often quite the opposite, overpromising and underdelivering, where marketing speak constantly contradicts what is really possible, even if its capabilities are still exciting in their own right.
The problem we face here is that when we’re looking at upscale living, so much of the latest tech attempts to bolster its value proposition by including AI. How can we tell when this promise is real, and when should it be avoided in favour of older and more traditional approaches?
AI is Not New
While mainstream generative AI systems are new developments, AI has in some form existed for decades before these newer iterations. In simple terms, AI is when a computer system can complete a task that usually requires human intelligence. This means basic tools we use every day, like spell-checking, count as AI, and there are hundreds of processes like these working in the background every day that we hadn’t even noticed until recently.
This complicates matters when advertisers see AI as such a potentially attractive term. If there were two toothbrushes for sale, one offering an automatic timer and another offering wireless connectivity and stat breakdowns, both would technically feature AI. This adds an extra step to checking the AI features of any product, to see which are of actual value and which are time-consuming gimmicks.
When “Traditional” Reigns Supreme
One of the most crucial aspects of newer generative forms of AI is that it holds immense potential. Actually fulfilling this potential is not so simple. If you’ve ever used a program like ChatGPT to answer questions in a field you’re familiar with, you would have experienced this issue directly, where AI’s confidence is at odds with its accuracy. In essence, because everything AI produces needs to be fact-checked, it can be better to avoid it entirely in favor of output produced solely by humans.
A fantastic example of this is illustrated by online websites that offer entertainment opportunities. Consider online casino promotions and their bonus offerings, and seasonal events. In this illustration, every promotion is written entirely by people and checked carefully, guaranteeing accuracy when describing features like prize draws, free spins, and deposit matches. It may seem like a small thing to assign copy to AI tools, but absolute clarity is necessary when it comes to playing games where real money is involved. Hence, here, no AI is speaking with authority on elements it doesn’t understand, so this traditional method is far more reliable.
The other key aspect of AI to keep in mind is that its support often comes with a lifespan that’s not openly acknowledged by the advertising copy. Humane’s AI Pin is a recent example, which launched at US$699 and was shut down within a year. With no servers, users were left with an expensive paperweight, and this was far from the only piece of AI tech to fall into this trap. Given that the pin could do nothing useful that a ubiquitous smartphone couldn’t, this was a perfect warning of how many AI projects operate.
While this might seem like a lot of doom and gloom, we need to note that some AI features in certain goods and services can be well worth the cost. It’s just that, as with any new technology, marketing needs to be taken seriously, as you could be charged more for a lesser product just for wanting the best. Instead of buying the hype, remember to always read tech reviews of systems that boast AI functionality, see if they really offer features you like, and remember to weigh these against the potential future risks.
