Our world is filled with great minds that have developed technology that revolutionized society and forever changed our lives. What if I told you that one of the greatest human inventions of our century isn’t the smartphone? Artificial intelligence (AI) is software that has the cognitive functions of humans. The thought that a computer can “think” is scary in and of itself. However, the chances of AI taking over the world are almost impossible. We have already seen how AI has been present in our lives. Once we learn to navigate this new invention, we can safely integrate it into our daily lives without its unwanted effects.

Take the calculator, for example. Audrey Watters from Hack Education.com takes us back to 1967 when Texas Instruments (TI) invented the world's first handheld calculator. Schools and parents viewed calculators with suspicion, but slowly, they have become a fundamental part of a math classroom. The Conversation.com highlights a major event in the education system when standardized testing and the College Board fully integrated calculators as a mandatory part of their exams just twenty years later. Many argued then that calculators would hinder the quality of education our children would receive, yet advocates claimed they could be learning aids instead. Almost fifty-six years later, we have learned that calculators have not hindered the education of our children. Instead, calculators encourage efficiency and help progress the education system and curriculum.

 Similarly, AI will become a safe and fundamental tool in the classroom, workplaces, and homes. There are several ways in the last decade already where AI has already appeared in homes and workplaces. Take your Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Apple Homepod, for example. These voice-controlled devices are capable of handling your most tedious tasks. From setting timers, alarms, and reminders to managing schedules, turning on and off lights, and ordering groceries, these devices complement our daily lives which demand efficiency and productivity. 

These are just a few ways AI has already become an inherent part of a 21st-century lifestyle. Near the end of December 2022, OpenAI released a “chatbot” capable of human-like conversations. The belief that AI and computers will soon overthrow the entire human race is impossible. Those who do support this belief don’t have a fundamental understanding of what AI is. AI works by processing the information that it is given. In processing this information, AI can generate an appropriate response to our prompts and questions. Digital Trends.com shows us that it is nearly impossible to replicate human emotion and consciousness in the form of AI. They stated, “This is partly the measurement problem, and partly the fact that, when a sentient superintelligent AI does arrive, there’s no reason to believe its sentience will match our own.” Replication of the human mind and body is almost unreasonable because of how intricately we are designed. Therefore, AI is incapable of having a consciousness.

 AI can also eliminate human errors. In sporting events, games, and matches, there has always been tension between players and coaches and officials and referees. With AI technology adapting to major sports leagues like the National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Hockey League (NHL), games and matches are better officiated with its help. There is only so much the human eye can see or articulate in split seconds compared to AI with the help of cameras. 

skepticism will always surround new and innovative technology or invention. Its utilization and discretion vary from each user. In the most extreme circumstance, AI is unlikely to have harmful imprint in our lives. AI is here to stay whether we like it or not, and soon all skeptics will fall victim.