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Question: ‘Artificial intelligence creates more problems than benefits.’ Discuss

(RI Y6 Prelim 2019)

Stand: Artificial intelligence creates more benefits.

Supporting Arguments + Examples + Analysis Balance + Examples + Analysis

Argument: AI speeds up repetitive and physically Argument: AI is able to replace humans in

draining / laborious processes, contributing to greater ways once thought impossible, and are
productivity and efficiency in the economy. increasingly displaying human-like qualities,
increasing unemployment.
Example: Artificial intelligence (AI) could nearly
double Singapore's annual economic growth rates by
2035 from 3.2% to 5.4%, according to a study by Example: AIVA the AI soundtrack creator is
Accenture an algorithm that is able to produce
soundtracks for games or other purposes.
Analysis: All the user needs to do is select a genre and
the AI will masterfully compose a piece of
Artificial intelligence is incredibly accurate, precise, music. AIVA has been used by renowned
and consistent and there is little margin for error companies such as TED Conferences.
which makes using artificial intelligence for many
processes ideal in producing quality goods / services. OR
artificial intelligence has also been taught and
programmed to execute advanced processes in A new K-pop girl group eternity was created
seconds, which humans would never be capable of. using deep-fake technology and artificial
Hence this increases the number of products that can intelligence (AI). Eternity's virtual idols were
be produced per unit time especially in manufacturing. created with Deep Real AI, a deep-fake
virtual imaging technology developed by
This is because machines are programmed to be self- South Korean tech company Pulse9.
sustaining and independent. They do not require rest
or sustenance and can operate for extended periods of Data from the World Economic Forum on
time. Their sole purpose is to fulfil their task and have Asean showed that about one-fifth of
no other commitments. This is unlike humans, who Singapore’s full-time equivalent workforce,
need to take care of not only their physical health but 20.6%, will have their jobs displaced by
their mental health as well. As such, they require 2028.
breaks between shifts and seek an ideal work-life
balance. they have multiple priorities in life eg, family Analysis: Humans have long claimed our
and work may not take top priority. Humans also inherent traits, our 5 senses, our ability to
require stimulation, and would likely not be able to understand emotion, tone and mood, as
carry out monotonous, boring tasks for an extended what makes us distinct from machines, and
period of time due to the fact that we have been what keeps us employable. These traits are
programmed for so much more. Laborious tasks would innate in us, but they can in fact, also be
likely lead to poorer mental health among workers. taught, learnt, and applied the same way we
This makes AI a more viable option as it does not do. AI is no longer as emotionless and
require employers to take any of these human factors mechanical as we have long thought them
into consideration. to be. It is increasingly capable of
continuously learning from their
Hence, AI is able to significantly increase productivity in surroundings and environment beyond
the workforce and hence can lead to economic growth, what has been programmed in them by
and also leaves our human labour supply free to carry recognising emotion, tone and mood. It can
out more advanced and less monotonous tasks that then apply the fundamentals of such human
require greater skill (such as the service sector), traits to create profitable art and music
leading to a more well-utilised workforce with better pieces almost as similarly as how an Artiste
welfare. would, as they analyse thousands of
published pieces. But this process happens
Argument: AI is able to work alongside doctors, in seconds, instead of months or years as it
revolutionising the health industry would take us, making AI a more
economically viable option than hiring a
Example: In 2015, misdiagnosing illness and medical human employee.
error accounted for 10% of all US deaths. In light of
that, the promise of improving the diagnostic process Art and music are incredibly subjective to
is one of AI's most important applications. the creator's mood, background, and
environment, but the way these factors
Enlitic develops deep learning medical tools to manifest themselves are easily replicable
streamline radiology diagnoses. The company’s deep and mimicable, without the true need for
learning platform analyses unstructured medical data understanding the stories behind them. So,
such as radiology images, blood tests, genomics, with artificial intelligence’s efficient
patient medical history, etc. to give doctors better execution coupled with its nascent ability to
insight into a patient’s real-time needs. This allows respond to real-life scenarios, doesn’t that
them to properly and accurately determine a patient’s make artificial intelligence a better version
needs, and identify the severity of their condition early. of ourselves? Do we really need human
MIT named Enlitic the 5th smartest artificial artistes to produce our next generation of
intelligence company in the world, ranking above Art? Hence it is increasingly harder to prove
Facebook and Microsoft. ourselves employable, given that AI can
easily replicate our soft skills that were
Analysis: By working alongside doctors, AI can gather once branded irreplaceable.
information that doctors will not be able to detect
given physical limitations the need to cope with the
influx of patients, which might not allow doctors to
dedicate as much time for each patient as they would
like, leading to inaccuracy of diagnosis. The AI system is
hence able to work alongside the doctor in analysing
data and increasing accuracy of diagnosis. It is also able
to identify hidden conditions that a doctor may
overlook, and the early detection of such diseases is
essential in allowing patients to take early action. Such
specific and target diagnosis will increase trust of the
public in the healthcare system, and also improve the
efficiency of the healthcare system in general.

Argument: AI is able to improve our safety through

advanced monitoring.

Example: Singapore’s fleet of 100,000 smart lampposts

aims to act as the eyes of our policemen and patrol our
streets. These lampposts are able to carry out facial
detection, and crowd analytics, among many more
functions. Facial detection index faces to determine
gender, race, age, performing facial matching against
databases primarily to nab traffic offenders, while
crowd analytics not only predict congestion, but also
unruly crowd behaviours. It is able to detect speeding
vehicles through sensors which will communicate with
the OBU unit in vehicles which will receive information
like the location and speed of the vehicle.

Analysis: AI is able to act as a constant presence, and

smart monitoring means that no incident is left
unwatched. The constant patrolling means that the
streets are never left alone, leaving there no chance of
crime. This greatly increases efficiency in catching
criminals that would have otherwise been met with a
lot of human complications. This includes the inability
to identify criminals amongst a crowd, and the
excruciating time lag between dispatches at critical
moments. Additionally night shifts often entail
exhaustion and decrease in alertness in security or
policemen, causing them to fail to perform their job to
the best of their abilities. Such AI technology will allow
 them to take a departure from such tedious and
stressful tasks and focus on more essential tasks such
as combat skills or first-aid responses, leading to the
increased safety of our world.

Pls forgive any grammatical errors because I wrote this for my own personal use, didn’t think anyone
else would be reading it, all the best for GP : )

~em