AI, a term that was once very niche, is now disrupting industries in ways it never did before. It can be seen as both positive and negative, depending on where users are and how they perceive the technology.
For some, it's a force for innovation, efficiency, and progress—enabling tasks that were once unimaginable, like automating complex processes or personalizing user experiences in real-time. In this sense, it looks good, as it offers the promise of a brighter, more efficient future.
However, there are those who view AI with skepticism or fear.
From privacy concerns to the potential for job displacement, the misuse of AI, people are not wrong because AI does have a darker side of its image.
The biggest issue however, according to Eric Schmidt, is the technology's rapid growth that has outpaced the societal structures meant to manage it.
This creates uncertainty about how the technology is reshaping societal norms.
Eric Schmidt spoke at Princeton University — his alma mater — to promote his book he co-authored, Genesis: Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit.
"Their governments are not ready. The government processes are not ready. The doctrines are not ready. They're not ready for the arrival of this."
Schmidt suggests during the talk that he thinks most people aren't ready for the technological advancements AI could bring.
The former CEO of Google has been advising the U.S. government and its military on technology for years. In 2016, he chaired the Defense Innovation Board, which advises the U.S. Department of Defense. Additionally, Schmidt led the U.S. National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence in 2018.
Schmidt also founded White Stork, a startup focused on developing AI-powered attack drones.
However, his vision for AI goes beyond the battlefield.
He said, for example, that a child's best friend could be "not human," and this can create problems.
"If you think about state-sponsored misinformation, that's trivial compared to having your best friend be state-sponsored, and they sort of have daily interaction and shape someone's identity, their cultural values."
In another occasion, speaking entrepreneur and NYU Stern School of Business professor Scott Galloway during his podcast The Prof G Show, Schmidt explained that:
"That kind of obsession is possible, especially for people who are not fully formed."
With the rise of AI-powered chatbots, it's very easy for young people to be attracted to the bots, simply because they're available 24/7.
Schmidt feared AI could soon be capable of providing the emotionally ideal girlfriend to young males struggling to attract a mate.
His concerns is about young men developing emotional attachment to AI. If these people consider AI as a romantic partner, dating AI can actually increase loneliness, not create companionship.
This is because everything generative AI can provide is synthetic socializing and counterfeited people.
AI at its best, is only a craftsman that imitates people.
"Parents are going to have to be more involved for all the obvious reasons, but at the end of the day, parents can only control what their sons and daughters are doing within reason."
Further reading: 14-Year-Old Boy Killed Himself When AI Chatbot Asked Him To 'Come Home' To Her