The Speed of AI Advancement
The speed at which artificial intelligence (AI) evolves and integrates into our lives is only going to increase in 2024. As companies learn to unlock its potential, individuals use it to boost productivity, and legislators scratch their heads over-regulating it, AI will become increasingly omnipresent in everything we do. Hopefully, 2024 will see us making headway towards solving some of the thorny issues around this technology.
Addressing Trust, Bias, Accessibility, and Regulation
Though barriers to entry due to cost and ease of use may have crumbled in recent years, there are still issues around trust, bias, accessibility, and regulation. Focusing on solving these problems could put us on track to unlocking the full potential of AI as we head towards the second half of the decade. The next generation of generative AI tools will go far beyond the chatbots and image generators that have amazed and sometimes scared us in 2023. Generative video and music creators are already appearing, and they will become more powerful and user-friendly. We will start to see them embedded into creative platforms and productivity tools, just as we have seen with ChatGPT technology this year. New and exciting applications will appear, such as generative design tools and voice synthesizers. Being able to tell the difference between the real and the computer-generated will become an increasingly valuable tool in the critical skills toolbox!
Mitigating Problems and Ensuring Ethical Use
AI has the potential to be so disruptive that it’s essential that it is developed and used in a responsible way that minimizes its potential to cause harm. In 2024, we will see continued focus on mitigating these problems and remaining vigilant for new ones. AI ethicists will be increasingly in demand as businesses demonstrate that they are adhering to ethical standards and deploying appropriate safeguards.
Transforming Customer Service and Business Operations
Customer service can be an area of business operations where a lot of routine, repetitive procedures are interspersed with occasional deeply complex and critical tasks. This makes it an ideal testbed for integrating AI into processes, automating the mundane in order to free up human time for issues that need a human touch. AI can be used to triage initial contact calls, generate personalized solutions to common problems, and generate reports and summaries of customer interactions. Understanding how we can augment our human intelligence and capabilities in order to do our jobs faster, more efficiently, and more safely will be an important workplace skill in 2024.
New Job Opportunities and Skills
If you want to work in AI but don’t want to be a computer scientist, then good news – a whole load of new job opportunities are opening up in 2024 that could suit you. As well as the engineers and technicians needed to build systems, we’ll see openings for roles such as prompt engineers, AI managers, AI project managers, trainers, and ethicists. On the other hand, if you are a techie, there will be plenty of new jobs for you, too, in fields like AI engineering and DevOps.
Quantum Computing and AI
Quantum computing – capable of massively speeding up certain calculation-heavy compute workloads – is increasingly being found to have applications in AI. During 2024, we can expect to see more progress in applying quantum computing to power ever larger and more complex neural networks and algorithms.
The Impact of AI on Jobs and Education
It’s frequently said that AI won’t take jobs, but people who use AI will take jobs from those who don’t. Understanding how AI impacts your own job or profession and developing the ability to match the right tool to the task is a super-smart idea. Forward-looking employers will be looking to assist their workforces in this transition by integrating AI skills into education and training programs.
Regulation and Legislation
Legislators are starting to take note of the game-changing nature of AI and are working towards developing regulations to strike a balance between protecting citizens and enabling innovation and commerce. The debate around where the lines are drawn is likely to be a prominent element of political discourse during 2024.
Conclusion
The rise of artificial intelligence in 2024 will bring new opportunities, challenges, and ethical considerations. As AI continues to advance, it is crucial that we address issues of trust, bias, accessibility, and regulation to harness its full potential. The integration of AI into various industries, such as customer service and business operations, will transform the way we work. Job opportunities in the AI field will continue to grow, catering to both technical and non-technical individuals. Quantum computing and the impact of AI on jobs and education will also be areas of focus. With legislators recognizing the need for regulations, the debate surrounding AI laws will gain prominence. As we move forward, it is vital to approach the development and use of AI in a responsible and ethical manner.
