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When I was at university in the fifties, life was vastly different from what it is today. We didn't have the luxury of smartphones, laptops, or even electricity in every home. We had to rely on our own brains for everything, and that included finding answers to even the simplest of questions.
For instance, calculating the number of minutes in a year required us to manually multiply 60 by 24 by 365. We couldn't simply ask Siri or Google. Finding information wasn't as easy as typing a few keywords into a search engine either. We had to physically visit the local library, pull down a dusty copy of the British Encyclopaedia and read through the pages to find the answer.
Now, with the help of technology and specifically Artificial Intelligence (AI), we have access to an abundance of information at our fingertips. We can get the answer to any question in a matter of seconds, and many tasks that were once done by humans are now done by AI with a much higher efficiency. AI is being integrated into multiple fields such as healthcare, finance, and transportation, making life easier than ever before.
However, the rapid advancement of AI also brings with it certain concerns. As AI becomes more advanced, there is a risk of job displacement as machines become more capable of performing tasks that were once done by humans. Additionally, the increasing reliance on AI raises questions about accountability, bias and transparency. It's important that we are aware of these concerns and work to mitigate them.
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But as much as technology has made our lives easier, we must also remember the dangers of becoming too reliant on it. With shorter attention spans and less face-to-face interaction, there's a risk of brain atrophy. As teachers and parents, it's our responsibility to ensure that our children are using technology in moderation and that they're still developing their social skills and creativity through other activities.
Technology, and specifically AI, has come a long way since the fifties and has brought with it countless advantages. However, it's important to remember that too much of anything can be harmful. We should strive for balance, be aware of the potential downsides and use technology and AI to enhance our lives in the best way possible.