The ins and outs of AI

I’m sorry, but I just don’t understand all the hullabaloo over AI. It’s all over the news, what little I watch of it. Normally, while I’m waiting on supper to be ready, I watch Tales of Wells Fargo on GRIT while trying to figure out Wordle. But sometimes I’ll switch over to the national news. And by golly, there’s often a story about AI and all the harm it could create. I might be an old country bumpkin, but I just don’t see what all the fuss is about.

Back in the late ‘70s, I learned all about AI in college. I took a couple of classes dealing with AI and learned the ins and outs of the science. After graduating college, where I acquired a degree in BS, I ended up working for Texas A&M where I continued my education. I soon became quite efficient in AI. I‘m not one to brag, but as for my skill in AI, I was out standing in the field.

I always thought AI was a great way to help out so many folks. It made life a little easier and could make a fella some good money. Now newscasters are saying AI is harmful and lots of people could be out of work due to AI. I’m not quite sure how so many folks could lose their job because of AI, probably ‘cause I was told my supper was ready and I switched channels to watch something that was easier on the stomach.

Perhaps someone out there can explain to this ol’ cowpoke how AI can be harmful? Sure, if you’ve got an angry cow by the tail, she might kick while you’re trying to inseminate her, but that’s not so bad. And the only ones losing work are those stud bulls. Why in tarnation are so many folks fussing about AI? I just don’t get it?

What’s that? The fuss isn’t about Artificial Insemination? But Lester Holt said it was AI. What’s that? Artificial Intelligence? What the heck is that? Hold on a minute and allow me to ask Alexa what AI is if it’s not what I used to do to a herd of Angus cows.

Whoa! You’d never guess what Alexa told me. It seems some pretty smart folks have figured out ways to get machines to think and act like humans. There are smart phones that have apps for everything, so the owners don’t have to do much thinking any longer. No need to memorize phone numbers or the multiplication table. You just gotta tap an icon.

There are robots doing tasks that were once given to humans. Factory workers will no longer be needed to assemble cars and humans will no longer be needed to drive those cars. Students don’t need to know how to spell or construct a legible sentence. There are computer programs to do it all for them. Yep, I see the world of AI growing larger while the human brain shrinks to the size of a prune.

I’m a bit concerned about the future with all this technology running rampant. I reckon there will always be a need for humans. Somebody is going to be needed to repair those machines if they blow a fuse. And I can’t imagine a robot shoving its mechanical arm up Bessie’s rear end to perform the other kind of AI. There’s only one place that I can think of that can really use Artificial Intelligence: Washington D.C.

I reckon I shouldn’t fuss too much about computers and their artificial intelligence. Spell Check often catches misspelled words in my columns, although some of my words aren’t in its vocabulary. I do kinda wish AI would ease my ponderin’ over the subject of my next commentary. I’m finding it harder to come up with topics, and the time to write them. If y’all don’t see my column as frequently as y’all used to, don’t fret none. In the words of a famous robot, I’ll be back!