file:///C:/Users/nbucz/Downloads/Add%20a%20little%20bit%20oy%20text.pdf
Category Archives: Technology
AI Research Poster – Ethan Hale
Artificial Intelligence’s Impact Upon the Workplace
Ethan Hale
April 19, 2022
INTRODUCTION TO A.I.
Artificial intelligence has been a concept for decades, yet has only made leaps and bounds recently. Artificial intelligence, represented by the acronym ‘A.I.’, is a system that essentially mimics human behavior through the information that it collects from humans. It can be taught to conduct a plethora of actions, and can even be taught to perform jobs that are usually completed by humans; which naturally raises skepticism around the technology. High-grossing films such as The Terminator and The Matrix, each have an A.I. antagonist. The premise of these stories is that artificial intelligence has gained a hatred for humans and attempts to eradicate it. The concept is exciting to viewers, yet rather unrealistic, as artificial intelligence is nowhere near complex enough for humans to even start to fathom the idea. The coupling of a prior negative outlook of A.I. along with the recent surge of it entering the workplace does not sit well with many. While there are negative effects of the implementation of artificial intelligence in the workplace, such as the loss of jobs available to humans in lower-skill jobs, the positive benefits of the increase in job efficiency and on-site safety outweigh the negatives.
NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF A.I.
The achievements of artificial intelligence in the workplace have come at a detriment to the availability of lower-skill level jobs. Jobs done by humans in industries such as telemarketing, transportation, and pharmaceutical have all been affected. The telemarketing industry has been especially impacted, with “Forty percent of human resources (HR) functions being applied across the world in companies small and large are now using AI-augmented applications” (Moore). These positions could have been filled by a human, yet have been replaced with modern technology that can more effectively assist callers with their technical difficulties. An increase in unemployment is detrimental to not only those affected, but the economy as a whole. This is because as the population is unable to make money, they are unable to make purchases, which causes a damaging ripple effect on the economy.
While artificial intelligence has ‘stolen’ jobs from humans, it has also created new ones. As stated in Automation, Digitalization, and Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace: Implications for Political Behavior, “The introduction of computers, robotics, or the internet changes the way workers perform their jobs, modifies the value of skills, and creates entirely new job titles” (Gallego and Kurer). These titles the authors speak of are primarily jobs in the A.I. maintenance industry. With certain training, non-college-educated persons can be taught to work in that particular industry. Granted, the field does not have the vast number of jobs that it takes away, yet it shows that even in the early days of A.I., there are opportunities that have sprung from the early advances in this technology.
INCREASED JOB EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY
Artificial intelligence is the perfect employee; it doesn’t need pay, it can work nonstop year-round and doesn’t require a lunch break. The only things that it does require are regular maintenance and general oversight over the program from A.I. maintenance workers. The technology is able to process things much faster and more accurately than humans are able to, leaving no room for ‘human error’. Along with this, as A.I. processes information, the more it learns over time and is able to learn and identify any anomalies, making sure all data is accurate. For example, health data analytics company GNS Healthcare has utilized artificial intelligence in order to find any overlooked data within their patient’s records and has used it to help discover the source of the anomaly (Wilson and Daugherty). With the ability to be able to process abundances of information rapidly, businesses are able to dedicate more time to creative aspects of the job. By reallocating the time-consuming work of data analytics to artificial intelligence, companies’ productivity numbers move in a positive direction.
Not only are data analytics companies utilizing artificial intelligence, but a plethora of other fields as well. Engineering firms have been using A.I. during the design process to optimize the efficiency of the various concepts they envision of creating, calculating optimal weights and volume, the proper angles for maximum aerodynamics, and other design features that would require exuberant amounts of time for a human to test. In doing so, the products produced are more sustainable and even higher quality than without the usage of artificial intelligence. Along with engineering firms, the healthcare industry has also implemented artificial intelligence within its systems. As stated prior, it can be used to detect anomalies that may have been overlooked, but it has many other functions within the field. It can be used to assist doctors to analyze scan; highlighting abnormalities, and ensuring everything are properly scanned. Along with this, artificial intelligence enables ways “to identify a safe and effective drug candidate from the database searched, reducing the cost of developing medicine” (Kwo). This is done through artificial intelligence predicting which compounds would best affect the disease the medicine is being made to combat. Artificial intelligence proves to be incredibly useful, regardless of whether it be implemented on its own, or alongside humans.
SAFETY WITHIN THE WORKPLACE
From a productivity standpoint, the addition of artificial intelligence to the workplace has been massively successful. Along with boosting job efficiency, artificial intelligence is being used to promote worker safety. Computer vision is a scanning form of A.I. that allows it to ‘see’. While it can be used to analyze products or in sports, the more exciting usage of it is its ability to save lives. It can be seen being utilized within autonomous vehicles such as Tesla, and can also be used in the workplace. Commonly seen in manual labor, it can track the time workers have been active for, if workers are wearing appropriate safety equipment, or if they are entering into a hazardous area. “Action recognition techniques are applied with the help of sequential images to detect what the construction-related entities (e.g., worker and equipment) are doing to check the unsafe acts which could violate the safety and compliance protocols.” (Nain, Sharmaand, Chaurasia). Through learning how to detect high-risk movements and actions, computer vision is making advances in ensuring the workplace is a safer environment. It essentially enforces all of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) regulations, ensuring all workers are operating within a safe environment. This technology has the ability to prevent injuries and avoid potential lawsuits that may arise for the company.
More dangerous jobs are being phased out in favor of systems that are operated by artificial intelligence. Jobs on assembly lines of car manufacturing plants, or within foundries are all being replaced with robots run by artificial intelligence operating systems. Even unsanitary jobs, such as sewer cleaners, are being replaced with robots that have the ability to map out sewer layouts, clean them, and inspect the pipes. Not only are they more efficient, but they also remove humans from hazardous conditions, reducing the risk of infection, injury, or death to zero. If there were ever an accident that occurred, the value of an emotionless robot is nothing in comparison to that of a worker that could be harmed or killed. However costly they are, the robots are expendable.
CONCLUSION
Artificial intelligence is a revolutionary form of technology that is revolutionizing the way humans live. While many jobs are being taken by A.I., the field opens up an entirely new range of jobs that maintain the various systems. A.I. has the ability to increase productivity, whether it be working on its own, or alongside professionals. The usage of computer vision also decreases any risk of injury or death in more dangerous situations. Artificial intelligence is the future as it is beneficial to everyone, saving lives and getting things done faster than humans would be able to do.
WORKS CITED
1 – www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-polisci-051120-104535?journalCode=polisci.
2 – www.mobihealthnews.com/news/contributed-top-10-use-cases-ai-healthcare.
3 – www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/articles/artificial-intelligence-in-workplace-what-is-at-stake-for-workers/.
4 – https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/1099/1/012013/meta
5 – https://hbr.org/2018/07/collaborative-intelligence-humans-and-ai-ae-joining-forces
PHOTOS
Video Games are Ruining your Life
Nicholas Buczkowski
4/19/2022
Adolescence is a weird time in most people’s lives. Puberty is hitting, you’re trying to navigate social life, and your brain is constantly developing. However, what you feed your brain can certainly affect its development. So that begs the question, “how do violent video games effect adolescent cognitive development?” This is an important question because, per the American Psychological Association, “more than 90% of U.S. children play some kind of video games” (APA). In addition, APA also states that nearly 90% of all games have some form of violence in them (APA). Therefore, this is an extremely important topic to discuss because chances are your child is indulging in violent video games. The consumption of violent video games during adolescence can affect the cognitive behavior of the child and, as a result, can train the adolescent brain to accept violent actions in game as a real-life social norm.
So, what constitutes a video game as violent? According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), “the California law defines ‘violent video games’ as in 150 words as, in part, as a ‘a video game in which the range of options available to a player include killing, maiming, dismembering, or sexually assaulting an image of a human being” (RWJF). Generally, these games are rated mature meaning only those at or above the age of 18 can purchase the game. However, this does not stop those below the age of 18 from acquiring these games. Even as a 10-year-old, my friends and I would enjoy playing games such as Call of Duty, which is rated M for mature.
During adolescence, the brain is still developing and thus it is quite penetrable to consumable content such as violent video games. Child-to-parent violence is a sad reality of today’s society. Some wonder if violent video games could be a cause of such relational issues. Authors, Ana Ruiz-Fernandez, Miriam Junco-Guerrero, and David Canton-Cortes explore this in their article, “Exploring the Mediating Effect of Psychological Engagement on the Relationship between Child-to-Parent Violence and Violent Video Games”. Their article includes many citations to various scholarly articles on the subject. They state that, “when players were more involved in a game, they experienced greater hostility and a predisposition towards physical aggression” (Ruiz-Fernandez et al 18). This shows that there might be some correlation of violent video game consumption to CPV (child to parent violence). When you immerse yourself in a video game “there is a suspense of rational thinking, including moral assessment” (Ruiz-Fernandez et al 17). Based on this evidence it is safe to say CPV could be linked to over-immersion and extended consumption of violent video games. This leads to the conclusion that violent video games could be training the child’s brain to believe that these vulgar actions are okay in real life. After all, if there are no consequences for these action in game, why would there be consequences for them in real life? The child, thinking this, is then more likely to be aggressive towards their parents which then leads to a greater potential for child to parent violence.
Violent video games have been a topic of controversy for quite some time now. Parents will tell you they are bad for their kids, and kids will say otherwise. A psychology teacher in Florida, Christopher Ferguson wrote a paper called, “Digital Poison” examining multiple experiments on violent video game influence on adolescence. The results of one of the studies would actually surprise you. Ferguson states, “those who played violent video games were slightly more empathic than those who played the non-violent video game meaning that the observed effect, though non-significant, was in the opposite direction hypothesized” (Ferguson 27). The age range of this study was 12-18, nearly all of the participants were Hispanic and over 50% of them were male according to Ferguson. Ferguson states, “the games selected were Mortal Kombat and Forza Racing” (Ferguson 19). Personally, I can attest to the fact that Mortal Kombat is an extremely violent video game as I have played it before. In fact, I played it in middle school. Now, although this data suggests that violent video games could have a positive effect on the child, it doesn’t remove the possibility that the child’s idea of social norms would change. Not only the video game itself can alter a child’s idea of social norms. The community built around the video games can change the child’s morals as well.
It is no secret that the community around violent video games are extremely toxic. Although competitive environments allow for trash talk, recently the trash talk has become significantly more disturbing. According to the Washington Post, “during GamerGate, Brianna Wu was bombarded with threats of rape, death and more” (Andres 1). This is just one example, out of many, that prove how hellish the gamer community has become. The more these kids surround themselves with communities that will threaten people with rape, the more they become like the community. Again, kids are extremely impressionable and are truly a product of their environment. An article called “Investigating Sexual Harassment in Online Video Games” by Wai Yen Tang, Felix Reer, and Thorsten Quandt takes a look at how video games are causing sexual harassment to run rampant. The article states that after looking at the verbal sexist attacks on women, many female players have experienced sexual harassment while playing. (Tang et al). Sexual harassment online is becoming a huge problem especially in video games. Furthermore, with the emergence of apps like Discord, communities of gamers can interact verbally with each while online. This leads to harassment because people feel as if there are no consequences for their actions online. When kids here the conversations being had online, they think it is okay to speak like that. Once again, kids are extremely impressionable and will conform to their environment. These online communities based around video games are, for the most part, detrimental to kids understanding of consequences and how to act in the real world.
The fact that kids are so easily manipulated by their environment is cause for action. If violent video game consumption can create violence in kids, then we must find a way to change things. Although all video games – including violent video games – have some benefits, the negatives outweigh the positives. Not only does violent video game consumption cause child-to-parent violence, but they also alter the child’s understanding of what is okay to say and do. In order to help kids’ cognitive development, remain free of these toxins. I believe the parents should be more cognizant of what they give their children. Furthermore, parents should tell kids that what is in games in not real. Also, limiting play time would also be an excellent way to minimize the effects of violent video game consumption. Overall, it is in everyone’s best interest to protect our kids!
Anders, Caroline. “Gamergaters Inundated Her with Death Threats. Now Some Are Apologizing – and She Forgives Them.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 6 Aug. 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/08/05/gamergate-threats-brianna-wu/.
Ferguson, Christopher J, et al. “Digital Poison? Three Studies Examining the Influence of Violent Video Games on Youth.” Shibboleth Authentication Request, 2015, https://www-sciencedirect-com.liblink.uncw.edu/science/article/pii/S0747563215003088?via%3Dihub.
Resolution on Violent Video Games. https://www.apa.org/about/policy/resolution-violent-video-games.pdf.
Ruiz-Fernández, Ana, et al. “Exploring the Mediating Effect of Psychological Engagement on the Relationship between Child-to-Parent Violence and Violent Video Games.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 11 Mar. 2021, https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/6/2845/htm.
Tang, Wai Yen, et al. “Investigating Sexual Harassment in Online Video Games: How Personality and Context Factors Are Related to Toxic Sexual Behaviors against Fellow Players.” Shibboleth Authentication Request, 17 Nov. 2019, https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.liblink.uncw.edu/doi/full/10.1002/ab.21873.
Team, RWJF Blog. “Defining and Understanding Violent Video Games.” RWJF, 5 June 2020, https://www.rwjf.org/en/blog/2010/10/defining-and-understanding-violent-video-games-.html.
Scholarly Source Summary Nick B
Summary: This scholarly source explore the question of whether or not violent video games are altering young males brains. Those involved played 10 hours of violent video games for one week. They discuss further how this violent video game use causes long term effects.
Quote: “we have found that a sample of randomly assigned young adults showed less activation in certain frontal brain regions following a week of playing violent video games at home,”
Quote: “These findings indicate that violent video game play has a long-term effect on brain functioning”
Violent Video Games found not to be associated with adolescent aggression
Summary – This is an academic article based around studies done by researchers at the University of Oxford. Their research made them come to the conclusion that time spent playing violent video games does not have a relationship to aggression in teens. One of their points however, was that analyzing the same data can have different results depending on how you analyze it. That is why they chose a “registered study approach [to] safeguard against this” (Przybylski 5).
Quotes: “nearly all young people in the developed world now play video games” (Przybylski 1).
Quotes: “there is a good reason to believe that violent video game engagement might be associated with human aggression” (Przybylski 3).
Link: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.171474
The Relation of Violent Video Games to Adolescent Aggression – Nick Buczkowski
Summary – This academic journal follows experiments done to discover any correlation between violent video game use and aggression in adolescents. The study being discussed in the journal had three hypothesis involved. This study, unlike many others, took into account family environment and normative beliefs. These factors make it a more elaborate study than most.
Quotes: “The purpose of this study was to analyze the combined effect of normative beliefs about aggression and family environment” (Shao et al 11)
Quotes: “Group testing was performed in randomly selected classes of six middle schools” (Shao et al 18)
Sources on Topics Technology
technologyreview.com (tier 2)
fedtechmagazine.com (tier 3/4)
https://dl-acm-org.liblink.uncw.edu/ (tier 1)
Google Scholar (tier 2)
ebsco.com/academic-libraries/technology-engineering (tier 1)
ntis.gov (tier 2)
Nick, Ethan, Nacho
Rhetorical Analysis Article Information
Nick Buczkowski
2/9/2022
Title: Why Keurig’s $300 Cocktail Machine Failed
Link: https://marker.medium.com/why-keurigs-300-cocktail-machine-failed-c0eda1a6f19c
Setting: Feb 7, Marker.medium.com
Format: Online Article
Purpose: Explain what went wrong with Keurig’s cocktail machine and what they could have done differently.
Audience: People who bought the machine, or Keurig the company itself (Intended).
Audience: Cocktail drinkers/party people (Invoked).
Audience: Me (real).
Author: Rita McGrath
Argument Paraphrase: Keurig’s cocktail machine was not a success based on many factors such as marketing, parent company sales, and assumptions.
Ethos: “We’ve got scientists, chemists, process engineers, and so on to figure out how to do that” (McGrath 11) said one of the CEO’s involved. This appeals to ethics because it builds credibility by stating how many experts they have working for them.
Logos: “Looking at the parent companies to see if Keurig should be deemed a success” (McGrath 20)appeals to logic because if the parent companies did $100 million in revenue and Keurig only did $1 million then you can see if it was successful or not.
Rhetorical Analysis Article Information
James Thelen
Thursday, February 10, 2022
“Artificial Intelligence Is Not a Threat—Yet”: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/artificial-intelligence-is-not-a-threat-mdash-yet/
Rhetorical Situation
- Setting: March 1, 2017, on Scientific American
- Format/Medium: Web Article from a News Company
- Purpose: To present and inform the audience about an argument of skepticism against common ideas about the possible dangers of artifical intelligence.
- Audience: The intended audience are people who fear an artifical intelligence (AI) apocolypse. The invoked audience would be those who work with AI and fear an AI apocalypse. The real audience are people who looked at the article on Scientific American.
- Author: Michael Shermer
The Argument
Michael Shermer makes the claim that an AI apocalypse is unlikely to occur because a lot of AI apocalypse theories are based on assumptions that AI is more like natural intelligence and has the capability of feeling emotions. People put their own concepts of intelligence onto AI, meaning that most people think powerful AI will be evil, but it is equally like to be harmless. Also, the rate of AI advancement is slow, giving time for people to develop checks for each new stage.
Shermer appeals to logic by presenting creative and valid arguments while supporting his arguments with quotes and facts from professional sources. Shermer appeals to his credibility by identifying multiple scholarly sources within the article itself.
Eng201Spring22 