Artificial Intelligence - Benefits and Risks

Humans have progressed a lot. They have developed intelligent machines that can take decisions on their own without any intervention of humans. These machines can accomplish troublesome and complex tasks very efficiently, by itself.

For instance, digital assistants like Apple Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa available on different devices to make the work easier for humans. Not just that, self-driving cars are another example. These cars can drive you wherever you want by taking care of factors like traffic, pollution, etc. 

But how is all this working? The answer is Artificial Intelligence (AI). In this article, I will be sharing the benefits and risks of Artificial Intelligence that are be impacting digital marketing.

What is AI? 

As the name suggests, AI involves the creation of machines that are intelligent and behave and work like humans such as speech recognition or voice search. AI, nowadays, is considered as ‘narrow AI’ or ‘weak AI’ as it mainly focuses on handling narrow tasks like playing chess. However, the researchers are majorly targeting ‘general AI’ that can perform intellectual and emotional tasks just like humans.

Though AI is beneficial and making our work and life easier, yet there is a continual discourse going on since the initiation of AI. Experts have different views on AI that whether humans are creating a helpful environment by creating such machines or they are leading the human civilization to destruction.


Let’s consider what are the benefits and risks that are suggested by experts and are creating divided opinions.

Benefits Associated with AI:

The idea of AI begun with the intention of creating machines similar to that of humans. The primary goal of AI is to demonstrate and offering users the best suggestions in order to make their living easier. AI uses complex programming that helps machines to replicate human cognitive abilities.

1. Accuracy

AI machines are developed to solve complex problems with higher accuracy and zero-error. Scientists have adopted methods that can help AI machines to perform accurately on critical conditions and to provide the user the accurate solutions for complex equations. AI offers a higher precision and accuracy level that leaves no room for error.

2. Automation

AI can perform any sort of human labor tasks without any requirement of human intervention. This has extensively automated various tasks in different sectors and industries. AI technologies are incorporated by many industries to reduce the human workload. This not only saves their operational costs, but also the human sustainability costs. Humans don’t need to perform tedious and backbreaking tasks with the adoption of AI technologies.

3.  Improved Efficiency of Work

When it comes to the work efficiency, you can rely on the AI-powered machines. The intelligent machines can perform repetitive tasks efficiently without any error. Furthermore, these machines can work 24*7, so it reduces the cost of hiring two sets of employees and one can use the machines according to their needs.

4. Reduced Operational and Training Costs

AI is based on machine learning algorithms such as Deep Learning to gain an understanding of new things. In this way, there is no requirement of writing new code if we want them to learn something. Researchers are trying to develop machines that can optimize their machine learning abilities in order to learn different processes faster. In this way, the training cost of robots would be lesser than that of humans. 

5. No Break Requirement

AI-powered intelligent machines are increasing the work efficiency and accuracy in many ways like machines don’t need to take breaks and can perform the same tasks repetitively without any downtime.

Risks Associated with AI:

Although the AI has bright sides and is considered as the boon, yet some experts fear that humans are cultivating risks for themselves by creating such machines. The biggest risks associated with AI are:

1. Environmental Risk

AI machines are designed with multiple processors to increase their computing powers. These processors have Lithium batteries which are a rare element on earth. The higher mining of this element damages the environment. Not just that, they need a gigantic amount of power to function properly and therefore need more power plants that are directly damaging the environment.

2. Unemployment

If we will consider robots or AI in every field or industry, then the result will be unemployment. Undoubtedly, machines can perform faster and can do repetitive work better than humans, but it can be a bane for humans too. Businesses will choose robots for better productivity and profits. Hence, there will be no jobs for humans.

3. Higher Cost

The cost of creating or adopting AI technologies is very much high as it involves complex programming. If any breakdown occurs in the machines, the recovering and reinstalling require a huge amount of money. These machines require frequent checks to ensure their functionality. You may have to spend a lot to maintain and repair these machines.

4. Creation of human replica

It is true that AI allows the machines to act and behave like humans but a fact cannot be denied that machines can't have moral values and intelligence that is given by nature. Machines only understand the codes and programs and react accordingly without having knowledge of the pros and cons. This may lead to some critical results. Machines lack in originality that humans have.

In a Nutshell

AI and robotics have undoubtedly eased human lives in many aspects. But the rise of technology gave birth to many risks as well. AI technologies should be adopted by creating ethical codes and policies to ensure the safety from the devastation that may occur due to the use of it.