When someone thinks of artificial intelligence, the first thing that comes to mind could be a software that helps people create a schedule, or a device that can package pounds of food in a matter of seconds. However, those same devices could bring about negative impacts when used incorrectly.

In order to best benefit society, regulations should be placed on artificial intelligence systems and its potential users.

People can exploit artificial intelligence for academic purposes. Recently, professors have been complaining about an insurgence of cheating using the chat bot ChatGPT. As stated on the website of its parent company OpenAI, ChatGPT was originally created to answer questions and take requests when prompted by a user. However, people may also request ChatGPT to commit acts of academic dishonesty. No restrictions have been made regarding cheating as ChatGPT cannot sense the intent of its user, which makes cheating prevention much more difficult.

Additionally, AI has led to researchers and civil workers within the government questioning its ethical and moral impacts. In its current stage, algorithms made using artificial intelligence may not be able to properly take into account abstract concepts such as human bias and morality. 

Another artificial intelligence software named Ask Delphi grew in popularity in late 2021. According to Dazed, users began asking questions pertaining to topics such as race and the ethicality of murder. Ask Delphi then responded with racist sentiments and defended genocide if it “makes everybody happy.” Although Ask Delphi is continuously being improved, people must be wary if they wish to incorporate artificial intelligence into making decisions as it can create negative effects.

As artificial intelligence technology becomes more relied upon by the global population, a misuse of it can be devastating. A paper written by cell biologist Fabio Urbina revealed that an artificial intelligence that was originally meant to discover new drugs eventually began discovering new toxic chemicals that could be used in chemical weapons. This kind of error can devastate many people who need medication. Checks need to be implemented to make sure that a software does not frequently suggest ideas that can cause physical harm.

The addition of regulations can also transform businesses in a positive manner. More people may feel confident to develop and incorporate artificial intelligence if it is well regulated. There are already many jobs that use artificial intelligence to perform tasks more effectively.

In order to prevent more cases of artificial intelligence abuse from occurring, people must first learn how to use it properly. Contacting local or state governments is also crucial in implementing more regulations on artificial intelligence. Two Dauphin County departments to contact include the Departments of Information Technology and Public Safety and Security.