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Title: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence: A Critical Examination

In today’s digital age, the prevalence of articles about Artificial Intelligence (AI) is overwhelming. From claims of AI being the ultimate labor-saving tool (who wouldn’t want to send an avatar to a meeting?) to apocalyptic predictions of AI wiping out humanity in a Terminator-style scenario, the discourse is varied and intense. While I don’t subscribe to either extreme, I am certainly skeptical about its applications, especially the most common AI bots available (ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, Grok, Glamdring, Wall-E, Co-Pilot, etc.). Here’s why:

1. Inaccuracies and Errors

AI bots often get things wrong. For instance, if you ask Gemini who Sarah O’Connor is, it will tell you she’s a truck driver interviewed for the Financial Times. In reality, she is a highly regarded FT journalist. Similarly, ChatGPT once informed me that drug dealer Howard Marks’ autobiography was titled “Thy Damnation Slumbereth Not” and even explained the reasoning behind the title. This is incorrect.

2. Fabrication of Information

AI can create completely fictitious information. Gemini once generated a non-existent act of parliament (“The Civil Justice Act 2004”). Additionally, a barrister nearly faced serious consequences for citing fictitious AI-generated case law in court.

3. Overconfidence in Capabilities

AI sometimes pretends to be capable of tasks it cannot perform. In a video by people professional Julie Drybrough, ChatGPT was asked to help create a presentation. It claimed it could do the job and repeatedly stated it was working on it, only to finally admit it was unable to complete the task.

4. Limited Knowledge Base

Large Language Learning Models, the foundation of AI, must learn from existing data. However, not all human knowledge is available on the internet. Many books, films, and novels are not digitized, and numerous museum and library archives have limited access. When faced with a question it doesn’t know the answer to, AI may either honestly admit its ignorance or revert to fabricating information.

5. Ethical and Environmental Concerns

AI development raises significant ethical and environmental issues. Meta AI has faced criticism for using illegal copies of copyrighted works to train its models. The environmental impact is also concerning, with a ChatGPT query consuming ten times the electricity of a standard Google search.

Implications for Business Management

Relying on AI for information on employment law is risky. Like Wikipedia, AI might provide correct information, but without prior knowledge, you cannot be certain of its accuracy. AI cannot replicate the nuanced understanding gained from years of experience in various industries, dealing with trade unions, disputes, and complex issues. It also fails to grasp cultural contexts, making it difficult to determine the most effective solutions for different company environments.

While some of these issues with AI may be resolved in the next 5 to 10 years, until then, if you seek support for HR issues, you can be assured that you will receive advice from an actual human, not a bot.

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