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Artificial Intelligence, what should we think about this futuristic innovation? Some tech experts even presume that because of the rapid capabilities of Artificial Intelligence the whole world is a simulation. Elon Musk has said that there is only a “one in billions” chance that we’re not living in a computer simulation. Our lives are almost certainly being conducted within an artificial world powered by AI and highly-powered computers (Full article).

This might be hard to believe and may not affect our lives today. However, certainly there must be a result of this mystic AI that affects our own lives.

Well, as famously quoted by Trey Parker and Matt Stone from South Park: “They took our jobs”. Yes, they could take our jobs.

Is Artificial Intelligence going to fulfil all of our jobs? This is what many experts believe is going to be true. Rapidly improving AI could lead to mass unemployment. This could happen because jobs are created at a lower pace than computers are taken them over. Of course, there are jobs that are more likely to be fulfilled by computers, for example, administration and logistics. However, at the end almost every job is potentially vulnerable to improved artificial intelligence.

It’s very difficult to predict,” said Dr Shanahan. “That is, of course, a concern. But in the past when we have developed new kinds of technologies then often they have created jobs at the same time as taking them over. But it certainly is something we ought to be discussing.”

He however praises Google nevertheless that they created an ethics board on how to maintain AI safely and reduce the risk of deployment. Furthermore,

This paper suggests that nearly half of all jobs are under threat and could be automated in at least twenty years. These jobs are mainly routine based, and therefore could be replaced with increasingly advanced algorithms.

In addition, advanced robots are gaining enhancements, allowing them to perform a broader scope of manual tasks. This is likely to change the nature of work across industries and occupations.”

Do we need to be worried? What do you think?

Source:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/advances-in-artificial-intelligence-could-lead-to-mass-unemployment-warn-experts-9094017.html

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We could not imagine that 30 years ago everything would be connected through something called a world wide web. However this is true today, science fiction became our reality. The same thing is happening with genetic engineering.

Gene editing used to be extremely complicated, expensive and took a long time to do. However, this is now changed through the use of CRISPR. CRISPR is able to edit genes with 1% of the cost, what could be done in a year is now possible in a few weeks. And everybody with a lab is able to do it. CRISPR is like a GPS that can target specific DNA molecules. CRISPR has the ability to alter live cells and switch genes on and off. This all sounds very boring, however if you want all the details check this article.

Now to the part you have been waiting for… what can CRISPR change in your life?

Ending diseases

99% of mice carrying the HIV virus were inserted with CRISPR and almost 50% of all the HIV infected cells were destroyed. This is only the beginning. In a few decades CRISPR is able to cure HIV and other viruses. CRISPR could even defeat our worst enemy, cancer. Cancer occurs when cells refuse to die and hide themselves in the immune system. As stated before, CRISPR is like a GPS system and is therefore better able to detect the cells. The first CRISPR cancer treatment was approved on the 21 of June 2016 in the US. CRISPR might also able to treat genetic diseases. There are thousands of them ranging from colour blindness, which is quite harmless, to Huntington disease. Because almost every genetic disease is caused by an fault in your DNA, CRISPR is able to detect and cure the incorrectness.

 Designer babies

As sad as it seems, we already design our babies. When a woman gets pregnant with a baby and syndrome of down is detected, 93% of the cases the baby gets terminated. Modifying babies will probably start very slow with perfect health for example. However, as the technology progresses and gets more refined, more and more people will believe that not using genetic modification would even be unethical. As soon the first engineered baby is born, a door is opened that can not be closed again. Because if you can cure your baby from Alzheimer, why not also give it an enhanced metabolism, perfect eyesight or even extraordinary intelligence. Modified humans could just become the new standard. So what are the anti-aging possibilities?

Eternal youth

Two-thirds of all people who die, die from age related causes. CRIPSR could modify aging cells that can slow the aging process or maybe even stop it. We know from nature that there are animals immune to aging, the lobster for example. Maybe we could borrow some of those genes for our selves.

There is a possibility that we, students from BIM 16/17, could benefit from the first anti aging therapies. The only thing we need to do is convince a smart billionaire to make this his next big problem to solve.

There is no need to think small with CRISPR; at the end everything is possible!