If ever there was a subject that could capture and fuel the imagination of entire audiences, while raising a heated, yet not always entirely informed debate, that would probably be artificial intelligence (AI). It appears that with extraordinary software tools being released over the open internet in recent months, this subject has now taken centre-stage – from the highest legal halls of the European Union, to the pub.

WhosWho.mt caught up with MDIA Senior Technology Architect Trevor Sammut to ask some pertinent questions that might be unsettling some.

“We must keep in mind that good technology, always has a somewhat disruptive effect. Technology, starting from the invention of the wheel, or the discovery of fire has always brought about massive change, in the way we do things, in our societies, and even in ourselves,” argues Trevor Sammut.  “It is an inevitable process which is as natural as the human experience itself.”

“AI is not an innovation of the 21st century. It has been studied since the 1950s, in fact, many technologies we operate daily, such as our cell phones, make use of AI to carry out their tasks. What changed in the past few months was the way we have developed beyond a certain point, allowing us to start deciphering and making sense of enormous volumes of data, and translating it into results.”

This has brought about impressive tools such as Chat GPT and Midjourney, which contrary to other technologies that perhaps required a technically erudite mind to fully appreciate their accomplishments, are simply fascinating to anyone.

“Essentially, and simplifying things considerably, AI is a pattern recognising machine, and the better its frame of reference is, the more likely it is to produce results that are closer to what a human would produce. This is obviously remarkable to say the least, however the problem lies with humans giving the machines more credit than they are due.”

In fact, Trevor identifies the anthropomorphisation of the technology as a possible root of the perceived threat of AI, as humans might be witnessing technology becoming too ‘human-like’, for their own comfort.

“We must always see AI for what it is – an advanced assistive tool that can ease our tasks immensely. Naturally this will bring about change, like always happens, but we must not be scared of that,” Trevor continues.

“We must invest in education systems and teach our society how to deal with AI from the very youngest ages. Our children are being born into an AI-powered world, and we owe it to them to give them the necessary tools to understand this powerful new reality.”

“What we really mustn’t do is stifle the development of AI because we don’t understand what is happening behind the code, which makes us feel threatened. This will effectively only shift the matter to a different jurisdiction, while we would be missing out on the innovative power and the advantages that come with it,” Trevor explains.

With reference to the subject of lay-offs, Trevor notes how all technological advancements displace some jobs, which in their own nature are not a fixed reality.

“With the invention of the automobile, an entire horse-rearing industry was shifted, yet a new industry was developed, which resulted in more sustainability, and a more accessible, cost-effective product for society. AI, if used properly can have that same effect, freeing up our time from menial tasks, improving on our bottom lines. The question will now be, if as a society we will be willing to take on this new challenge, and really use the advancement in technology to our general benefit,” Trevor concludes.