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How do you feel about companies using AI to analyze your social media content to get an idea of what you are thinking and feeling?

There should be no expectation of privacy on social media. It is not a diary hidden under the bed; instead, it is an announcement to the world. When a company uses AI to analyze social media content to determine the wants and needs of its customers, it is utilizing a faster and more efficient method of market research. “The elicitation and monitoring of customer needs is an important task for businesses, allowing them to design customer-centric products and services and control marketing activities” (Kühl et al., 2020, p. 351). Market researchers have historically relied on interviews, surveys, and observations, but these methods are costly and time-intensive. As technology advances, it is natural for information gathering to do the same. The speed of information is moving toward the speed of sound. To keep up, automation, scalability, and continuous monitoring become necessary.

Would you feel differently about an enjoyable novel or movie if you learned it had been written by an AI system? Why or why not?

Learning that Artificial Intelligence was responsible for writing a novel or movie would not impact my enjoyment. I consume books and films for their entertainment value, not their deep hidden meanings or answers to life’s most important questions. However, it is possible for the source of the material to impact others’ enjoyment, much like knowing where certain foods come from can ruin a person’s appetite. AI replacing human ingenuity is the more significant cause for concern. For example, the art of storytelling involves decision-making. Bovée and Thill (2021) clearly outline that the storyteller must decide who, what, when, where, and how. AI systems can do that, but they “output decisions after processing data through an accumulation of calculus, computation, and rule-driven rationality” (Moser et al., 2022, p. 12). Therefore, its narrowly designed objectives create limitations. On the other hand, humans consider context, various outcomes, imagination, reflection, valuation, and empathy. When AI starts replacing human judgment, humans limit themselves and risk losing the essential moral aspect of decision-making.

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How I feel about companies using AI to analyze my social media content to get an idea of what I would be thinking and feeling seems intrusive. I am a proponent of privacy. This means I elect not to have any social media accounts. Nevertheless, almost all of the general population possess an array of available accounts. In a world where big tech and big data are growing ever more intrusive, individuals should consider what they choose to post and how they choose to engage in what is considered the digital town square. Another point of concern would be correct statistics when applying the AI. This is because the code that the AI thrives on is implemented and governed still by human beings. “Self-organization involves an organization setting itself principles or standards to follow in developing and deploying AI solutions. These may be administered through internal ethics boards that must be staff with appropriately qualified personnel and sufficiently empowered by senior management to make recommendations that may come into conflict with existing business objectives. Several large digital platform companies such as Microsoft and Google already have such boards in place.”(Lewis & Moorkens, 2020).

If I had learned an enjoyable novel or movie had been wrote by an AI system, I would not feel differently about it. I conclude that what is entertaining or pleasurable is not determined by who or what wrote it. I also think that the argument is one of principle and not art or skill. Some people are wholly against all technology, and that is their prerogative. AI systems are nothing to fear yet, and until they become a threat, we should enjoy them. However, the future of AI seems to be rapidly approaching. “Researchers believe there is a 50% chance of AI outperforming humans in all tasks in 45 years and of automating all human jobs in 120 years, with Asian respondents expecting these dates much sooner than North Americans.” (Grace et al., 2018).

IN 5-6 LINES, RESPOND TO THIS TWO DISCUSSION BOARD