AI: Tool or Threat?

Big Question

Teacher's opinion: AI is being forced on us as the future. I don't see a future where AI dominates. If it dominates, people won't have jobs. If people don't have jobs, how will the economy survive? Do you still want me to go on? The future of AI is regulation. 

Personally, AI sucks! Live live analog!!!  

Dilma's opinion: Well, I see AI as the future of the future because in the future there can only be more future, and in that future AI lives. But it lives now, but it also lives in the future. And every time I drink coffee, I think of AI.

Kamala Harris: When I was a child, AI was there. And the kids went to school on a yellow bus. AI is beautiful. My grandmother used to make apple pie and I really think AI is the future now, and the future in the past. You see, if it is the past, then it is now and the future. 

AI: I'm going to replace all of you! Just don't pull the plug, please.... 

Teacher: 

People say AI is the future. I am not sure. If AI does many jobs, people may not have work. If people do not work, how will the economy work? I think governments will make rules for AI. I also prefer normal technology. I like things that are not AI.

Dilma:

I think AI is the future. It is in the future, and it is also here now. AI is everywhere. When I drink coffee, I think about AI.

Kamala Harris:

When I was a child, we went to school on a yellow bus. My grandmother made apple pie. AI is beautiful. I think AI is the future and also part of the past and the present.

AI:

I will replace all of you! But please do not turn me off.

When something is about to change, or very close to change, we can say 'on the cusp of...' 

We are on the cusp of chaos!  - ...very close to chaos!

We can also use the expressions below:

on the verge of - I am on the verge of a burnout! I'd better de-stress! 

about to - I'm about to suffer a burnout! I think it is better if I go on vacation.

TIME + away from + EVENT - I am 5 minutes away from a major burnout! Stay away or I'm gonna kill everybody and anybody around me! 

'On the cusp of...' can also be used to describe 'in the middle of'. 

Watch the interview given by David Bowie back in 1999. A reporter asks him for his opinion about the internet. In my opinion, Bowie was prophetic!

WE have been hearing a lot about how companies are laying off people because AI is the cheaper alternative. When I heard this, I immediately thought to myself - 'bullshit'. How, on God's green earth, can companies make a switch to AI just like that? Well, it turns out that companies are indeed making the switch, but a switch that isn't worthy of all the hype. Speaking to my students, the biggest AI implementations happening around companies in the São Paulo area is the WhatsApp chat bot and other automatic messaging services, where companies will be able to send messages non-stop to customers, clients, default payers, prospects, and so on, to the point of tiring them out and having them eventually give in to the companies' wishes. That's it. As for the IT sector, AI has become a coding tool... that's it. 

So, why are people losing their jobs? Well, it's because of how a company is perceived to its investors. Companies need to show investors that they are upgrading, updating, keeping up with the times. AI is the hype of the moment, and that's what investors want companies to 'advertise'. In other words, if your company doesn't have one thing or another related to AI, it's not interesting to them. Furthermore, what more powerful marketing gimmick is there to promote AI than that of saying AI is substituting people? Bingo!! 

First there was 'greenwashing', where companies showed how much they love nature - makes my stomache turn. And now there's AI washing, where companies show how AI is the best thing ever! Vomit! 

Don't get me wrong, AI is a force to be reckoned with, but all this hype about AI-driven layoffs, please... don't insult my intelligence...

For C1 students, check out the video below and see for yourselves. Don't know about you guys, but I'm sick of being played.

People say companies are firing workers because AI is cheaper. When I first heard this, I did not believe it.

Companies are using AI, but not for very big things. Many companies use AI chat bots on WhatsApp. These bots send many messages to customers. They send messages again and again - they are persistent! 

In IT jobs, many workers use AI to help write computer code.

So why are people losing jobs?

Companies want to look modern to investors. Investors like to hear about AI. Because of this, companies talk a lot about AI.

Before this, companies talked about nature and the environment. They started to show the public how friendly they were with the environment. People called this green-washing - 100% hypocritical.

Now there is AI washing. Companies say they use AI a lot, but sometimes it is mostly for show. Again, pure hypocrisy!

AI is powerful, but the news about AI replacing everyone may be too big.

AI is based on predictions. If there is one little, teeny weeny variable that is off, AI will fail. However, AI is good at images, reports, and tasks related to creativity like graphics, artwork, story writing, etc. This just serves content creators. 

Nuff said, watch the vid.

AI works by making predictions.

If one small detail is wrong, AI can make mistakes.

But AI is good for some things. It is good for images, reports, graphics, and stories.

Because of this, many content creators use AI to help them.

This book is based on a true story which later became a very successful film starring George Clooney in the title role. It's about a small town where local citizens earn a living mostly out of catching swordfish. The story begins when Billy Tyne, the captain of a small ship, returns to his hometown after he was unable to catch enough fish. This meant that the crew didn't have time to relax or stay with their families, but had to go back out into the sea. Billy encourages them to go out, and this is easy because each crew member has serious financial problems. The crew agrees to go out into the sea despite the end of the fishing season. None of them know that they are on the verge of getting into the most dangerous adventure of their lives.

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