An algorithm is forever

by PIER LUIGI PISA

What is Artificial Intelligence? It is the ability of computers, through sophisticated algorithms, to analyze data, learn from them and then make decisions similar to those that a human being would make. Algorithms, in short, are the real gears of the AI ​​that we use every day. Sometimes without even realizing it. Algorithms are those used by social networks, for example, when they suggest a post that doesn’t come from our contacts. A photo on Instagram, for example. And there’s an algorithm at the basis of how Spotify works when it offers us a song that we might like and that we may never have heard. This happens because the artificial intelligence has studied our habits and “recommends” us a content similar to what we usually like. It also happens at home, on TV, when Netflix or Prime Video show us films or series that may interest us. But even when Alexa gives us the right answer: it is thanks to the algorithms, in fact, that Amazon’s assistant is able to understand us and “find the words” with which to respond.

In short, it is no coincidence that the latest Hi-Tech Observatory created by SWG for Italian Tech, the Gedi hub dedicated to new technologies and all ‘innovation. The results of this study, also discussed in one of the meetings of “La Repubblica delle Idee”, moderated by Riccardo Luna, show a high level of confidence among Italians with algorithms.

Many of them, a percentage equal to 83% of the interviewees, know – at least in general terms – what an algorithm is. And there are many who have a positive perception of it. For 46% algorithms are “ingenious allies”. For 22%, however, “faithful servants”. In short, the idea is spreading that tools such as ChatGpt, Bard and Bing – the main generative artificial intelligences capable of producing writings and images like a man would – can help the productivity of those who use them. And not an enemy to fight.

This discourse is especially true for the future of work. 74% of those interviewed by SWG believe that algorithms will increase “Productivity, efficiency and work organization”. 49%, on the other hand, are concerned about the negative impact they could have on “Wages and compensation levels”. In short, will AI steal our jobs? The Italians listened to by Swg are quite divided on this. Their answers suggest which professions are most at “risk of replacement”: bankers, quality control staff, shop assistants, travel agents and cashiers. Among those who run a lower risk, according to the common thought, there are instead engineers, plumbers and electricians, construction workers and metal workers. It seems clear that manual work is considered “untouchable”.

Everyone, however, should keep in mind the words of Jensen Huang,
co-founder And CEO Of Nvidiaa company that surpassed the trillion-dollar valuation precisely by focusing on chips for artificial intelligence: “In the future, AI won’t steal our jobs, but someone who will be able to use it better than us will”. Huang addressed these words, as a warning, to an audience of undergraduates. It is precisely the youngest who consider algorithms irreplaceable: 76% of the interviewees, belonging to the so-called “Gen Z”, think that giving up on them “would result in the loss of too many important achievements”.

However, both young people and seniors are concerned that AI could get out of control, that is, that it could make decisions for us (51%) or spread false information about us (50%). 46% of survey participants go even further to science fiction: they are concerned that machines can “predict thoughts”. If one interviewee out of two is convinced that algorithms, overall, “will improve our lives”, it is also true that the SWG survey shows a high percentage – 50% – linked to the “perception of hostility”.

In this regard, the numerous alarms that have been disseminated in recent months by leading AI experts, who ask for rules and codes of conduct to be applied to potentially “wild” training of artificial intelligence, do not help. Despite this, the SWG study for Italian Tech highlights a strongly positive perception of the role that algorithms play in society. They are thought to help science (85%), in particular, and then logistics and transport (82%), medicine (81%) and the fight against crime (78%). However, not everyone is convinced of the positive effect that algorithms can have on schools, social networks and the world of information.