Whether you realize it or not, artificial intelligence is already deeply embedded in your daily life.
If you’ve been tuning into the news frequently over the last year, then you’ve probably noticed a particular theme coloring daily coverage: a whole lot of confusion, distrust, and (in some cases) flat-out condemnation of artificial intelligence.
There’s a good reason for this coverage. The emergence of publicly accessible bots like ChatGPT and Sora has seemingly changed the way our world works overnight — and certainly not entirely for the better. Every day, more college and high school students miraculously produce flawlessly plagiarized homework out of thin air, and celebs take action against AI platforms for using their likenesses for their products, or worse.
Numerous AI experts and thought leaders have sounded the alarm, begging companies like OpenAI to slow down innovation efforts until more research can be conducted on the implications of certain tools.
At the same, all of this AI-focused fear has blinded us from remembering one critical fact: artificial intelligence is already here. In fact, it’s deeply interwoven into our lives and has been for a while. But that’s not completely bad news, because so many of those AI tools are likely making your day-to-day life much better.
To help you face your AI fear, remind yourself of the ways you already use artificial intelligence every single day.
The facial recognition feature on your phone
Approximately four in ten Americans use Face ID to log into at least one app on their phone each day. If you’re one of those 136 million people who bypass the exhaustion of password-remembering in this way, then congratulations: You’re using a form of artificial intelligence on a daily basis, and it’s working to make your life a little bit easier.
Interestingly, facial recognition software works in a similar way as our brains: It works to separate faces from objects first and then analyzes a face based on previous impressions. Specifically, facial recognition software processes all of the tiny details of our faces (from our physical characteristics, from the arch of our eyebrows to our literal facial expressions) into a series of numbers. These numbers are then compared to the previous numbers the software has on file for your face. If the numbers match, you’re in. If they don’t, you’re out — which is why you sometimes have to try Face ID a few times if the picture isn’t clear enough.
Your snazzy new electric vehicle
You know that sleek new electric vehicle you bought last year, or have been eyeing? Yeah, that amazing, climate-friendly innovation is only possible thanks to artificial intelligence.
AI-powered systems work to manage the energy output in electric vehicles — which, when you consider the fact that electric vehicles are run by electrical energy, is pretty important. This process works in a number of ways, from adjusting the energy output of the engine based on the car’s current speed and weight to optimizing the air conditioning to run as efficiently as possible. (While we’re at it, a quick optimization tip: If you turn the AC off in your EV and lower the windows instead, you’ll see a boost in mileage. Thanks, AI!)
…as well as your older, gas-fueled car
It’s not just electric vehicles that use AI in order to function properly — your beat-up, beloved old car from 2010 likely has some AI in its system, too.
From GPS navigation to Bluetooth technology to voice-activated responses and controls, all of these systems (many of which we pretty much take for granted now) are powered or connected to artificial intelligence. Of course, the newer your car, the more advanced the system probably is. There are also plenty of cars that aren’t necessarily “new” but do have the capability to receive regular software updates — so when you see that the maps feature on your car’s screen looks different, you can also expect a slight improvement in navigational quality, which is thanks in part to improved artificial intelligence.
The newsfeed on your social media account
Yep, you guessed it: Artificial intelligence is behind all of your gloriously, terrifyingly addicting newsfeeds. Each social media network, from TikTok to Twitter, has its own AI-powered algorithm, which is constantly working to customize every single one of its billions of users’ feeds. Each time you press the like button, click on someone’s Facebook status or Instagram story, or even just pause on a post for more than a few seconds, the algorithm takes that information in as data and customizes your feed accordingly.
This isn’t exactly a super positive form of artificial intelligence — but on the other hand, those highly curated algorithms are also responsible for that beautiful set of silk pajamas you found on Instagram.
Those handy, dandy Netflix recommendations
Speaking of clever algorithms, streaming platforms have them, too, and they’re unbelievably effective.
If you have a Netflix account, then you’ve probably noticed how your account’s homepage will change all the time, offering up a new selection of suggested titles based on release dates, genres that you’ve already dipped into, television shows you can’t stop rewatching, and more. This specialized recommendation system is similar to social media algorithms in that it ensures that no two account offerings are exactly the same — and just like those social media algorithms, streaming algorithms are extremely effective. In fact, Netflix has stated that over 80 percent of television shows on Netflix are found (and consumed) as a direct result of the streaming platform’s recommendation system.
So yes, it’s technically true that you have artificial intelligence to thank for your discovery of Ted Lasso last winter. Talk about innovation that excites.
