Blog Post #10

     In the video "In the Age of AI," I learned about more about the modern uses of Artificial Intelligence and the potential repercussions that could have both today and in the future. When we think of AI, we might think of its everyday uses such as asking questions to ChatGPT or asking Siri what the weather is like that day. In the background however, our government is involved in a technological arms race. 

    Due to increased tensions between the US and China, these technological advancements are being treated as national security assets instead of something to collaborate on. This is in light of ongoing trade wars between the two nations. This has led to mistrust and thus, both sides want to remain self-reliant instead of building on the advancements of foreign nations. This is a frightening prospect for the future of the globe. Increased animosity and decreased cooperation could lead to be the kindlings in a flame of war. 

    The progression of AI isn't all bad though. Softwares like facial recognition may prove useful in combating crime. It is essential that this is done with an air of extreme caution, however. One main concern raised in the documentary was the misuse of AI for control by governments; particularly China. The Chinese government uses things like facial recognition and surveillance software to suppress dissent its people. 

    As far as privacy goes, I can really only thing of negatives when we look at the advancement of AI. We must place restrictions on the data that AI can access or risk true privacy vanishing forever. While national security remains a top priority for all nations, I believe that increased collaboration would be a net positive for all nations involved. Online privacy must be also treated with the utmost care in the modern day. Sharing your personal information online or to non-trusted AI engines may lead to some unfortunate consequences. 

    All things considered, the Chinese government's use of Ai sets a dangerous precedent for the world. If this technology can be used in one country, it can make its way to another. AI must be handled with care or else it may lead to spread misinformation and cause harm to democracy. Like all things however, AI is tool. Whether its effects are good or bad is up to us.

    

Blog Post #7

After listening to the history recitation and exploring both antiwar.com and the American conservative, I have a few thoughts as to why anti-war voices are silenced in the mainstream media. The biggest reason is the fact that the government earns billions of dollars a year with the military-industrial complex. Therefore, it is in the government's best interest to silence any individuals that pose a threat to the system they hold so dear. 

What is the military-industrial complex? Britannica defines it as a "network of individuals and institutions involved in the production of weapons and military technologies." These individuals and institutions include the military, private defense contractors, and the government. Because the continue mass-manufacturing of weapons is in these people's best interests, they are more likely to be in favor of war. Due to their massive power and influence, they not only discourage anti-war sentiment but they also go as far as to censor it. Mainstream media never truly takes a critical stance of the government. Lockheed Martin, the biggest defense contractor in the United States is owned by Blackrock. Blackrock also owns many of the mainstream media sources such as CNN, Fox, and CBS. Now it all makes sense.

In conclusion, there are very wealthy conglomerates who have it in their best interest to send the US to war. This is at the detriment of the American people. Billions of dollars a year circulate through the defense industry that they line their pockets with. To make sure this never ends, they do everything in their power to keep your attention elsewhere. This is why you will never see this topic discussed on the mainstream media. They wouldn't broadcast this information themselves. 

Blog Post #8

 The technology that I want to highlight today is the iPhone and the innovations that have stemmed from its creation. The most impactful of those being, in my opinion, social media; specifically TikTok. Let's start at the beginning though. The iPhone gained its popularity due to its design being unlike any other smartphone in the world at the time. Not everyone was an early adopter though. Some people wanted to stick to features they were used to such as physical keyboards while others embraced the new changes. Nowadays, some people prefer phones from other brands such as Samsung for its user customization. 

Diffusion, as described in its Wikipedia page, is "a theory that seeks to explain how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technology spread." This idea can certainly be attributed to the rapid spread of TikTok. I witnessed this first hand. Being part of a younger generation, I heard about this platform in elementary school under the name "musically." Years later the app was rebranded and gained much more popularity. While the news began to cover it and adults started downloading, my peers and I had been in the know for quite some time. 

As I mentioned earlier, TikTok is the one social media with the most notoriety in the modern day. Despite that, I personally do not use it. I never used this app because I already spend enough time on my phone as it is. Adding another social media app that takes up my time and attention would not benefit me in any way. I realize that I would receive some benefits had I chose to use this app. The main one is that I would be up to date with recent trends that my peers are all aware of. Instead, I find myself unable to understand references they make in day to day conversation. All in all though, I don't believe that the positives outweigh the negatives. As I mentioned before, spending hours a day scrolling would be an overall detriment to my life. I believe that the cost-benefit analysis can only be done personally. Each individual decides what they spend their time doing.