It’s pretty likely you’ve heard about how artificial intelligence (AI) is starting to sweep into our everyday lives. From home assistance to job support, the rise of the robots is truly happening – and AI is certainly making things a lot more convenient from all kinds of perspectives.
That said, AI certainly isn’t without its controversies. To get the best out of the tech, there’s sacrifices – for example, there’s been growing concerns about the data that AI uses to deliver superfast services such as text and image generation. What’s more, there’s worries about copyright infringement, and whether or not kids should have access to generative AI to help with homework!
Regardless of where you stand on the whole debate, I’ve rounded up some interesting facts about AI that might just change the way you think about the evolution of intelligence around us.
1. Chances are, you’ve used AI today already.
If you found this article through Google, there’s a good chance you’ve already met up with some form of AI. The search engine uses an AI summary generator at the top of search listings to consolidate results into handy, conclusive paragraphs. However, this tech is not without faults, as there have been some fact-checking issues in recent times!
If you’ve spoken to a customer service advisor online today, there’s a good chance you were actually talking to an intelligent chatbot, too!
What’s more, if you use tools such as Grammarly to help edit and clean up your writing, you’re relying on AI to check your grammar and spelling mistakes! You’ll even find AI embedded into popular apps, such as Google Drive, Canva, and Apple Mail. It’s slowly been sneaking into our favourite programs for a while now!
2. AI has been around longer than you think – since the 1950s!
AI is certainly a modern phenomenon, but there have been strides taken in the development of artificial intelligence going right back to the mid-20th century. In fact, we have Alan Turing to thank for his work ‘Computer Machinery and Intelligence’ for pushing the idea of computer intelligence into the mainstream.
By 1952, scientist Arthur Samuel had developed a computer program that could learn and play draughts – and by the end of the decade, he’d actually coined the term ‘machine learning’.
Believe it or not, the first-ever chatbot devised and developed was launched in 1966! Joseph Weizenbaum created ELIZA, an AI that could talk with human users as a kind of psychotherapist.
3. Millions of us have given generative AI a try.
Back in 2023, the tool on everyone’s lips was ChatGPT – a generative AI service that’s continued to evolve to this day. ChatGPT changed the landscape for text creation and online search, and it found its way into the lives of millions of people in the UK.
So much so that apparently more than 18 million people in Britain have had a play around with generative AI to some extent, according to a Deloitte survey. That’s just over a quarter of the whole population!
AI is now so ubiquitous in the UK that around six out of ten people are aware of generative tools, and interestingly, around four in ten are men, and around two in ten are women. It’s even picked up interest among older people, too, with one in ten people aged between 55 and 75 having dabbled with the tech.
4. AI is transforming the way we work – and most are happy with the results.
One of the more controversial areas of AI is how it will transform work for millions of people in the years to come. Generative text and image editing AI, for example, have already disrupted the work of many creative people – such as artists, writers, and photographers.
However, the UK’s business landscape appears to be embracing generative AI for its time and cost-saving benefits. Around one in seven people have already started using GenAI specifically for work, with almost three-quarters of these claiming that doing so has significantly boosted their productivity.
Fascinatingly, there does still seem to be some pushback against AI as far as workplace allowances are concerned. It’s estimated that only around a quarter of UK employers actively encourage the use of GenAI in the workplace. Could this change in the years to come?
5. UK businesses are adopting AI for all kinds of reasons – but mostly to save time and money.
Unsurprisingly, most British firms that openly use generative AI and other automation tools are doing so because of the time- and cost-saving benefits. And, who could blame them? However, it also appears that pressure from rival firms is pushing companies to adopt AI en masse. Therefore, AI adoption seems to be a self-fulfilling prophecy, at least for now!
Interestingly, there also seems to be increasing pressure from consumers for businesses to use AI, too. There are a few reasons behind this. For one, AI is helping companies to deliver products and services faster and more accurately to customers. Therefore, why wouldn’t they demand more efficient and effective service delivery?
6. AI knows more about you than ever before.
Of course, one of the scarier sides to AI and its rise is the fact that it’s becoming increasingly used to personalise experiences for people who use online search and social media. Not only do you have cookies to worry about, but AI is helping advertisers to personalise marketing campaigns to people who fall within their demographics.
That’s why, for instance, if you use Instagram, you might find that increasingly appropriate products and services are advertised to you! The app’s algorithms pick up on what content you’ve interacted with, and start to build profiles on what they believe you’ll want to see. This type of machine learning only gets more intelligent the more you use it, too.
7. AI has to get its data from somewhere – potentially from you.
Another controversial aspect to generative AI, at least, is the fact that it has to train to become truly intelligent and autonomous. That means tools frequently use existing properties to base knowledge and creativity on.
This is highly controversial because some GenAI tools crawl existing works to create the images and text that users want to see. It’s all, to an extent, derivative – one of the key arguments against GenAI is that it’s not actually creating anything new – it’s largely pulling together aggregated data to tailor to the specific needs of the user.
That, and watch out for the data you provide to AI tools, too! Some GenAI programs train themselves on the data that users provide. That means if there’s anything private or particularly sensitive you’d like to keep out of an AI’s knowledge banks, you’d do best keeping it to yourself.
8. AI is already being used in the NHS.
It’s true! It’s reasonable to expect that healthcare professionals across the UK are already using AI to help make processes more efficient, and to help support decision making in complex situations.
The NHS advises, for example, that it’s already using AI to help analyse brain scans and x-ray images to find traces of certain conditions or problems that human eyes might overlook. What’s more, AI is also being used to help people monitor their health through remote apps when receiving home care.
Rest easy – the NHS insists that it doesn’t use private patient details to support insurance or marketing, though if you’d prefer that it did, you can make such a request.
9. The government has an “AI playbook.”
One of the key policies of Keir Starmer’s government has been to establish an AI playbook for British government agencies and other businesses to follow. Ultimately, the guide exists to help government employees, such as civil servants, understand the benefits and limitations of AI and how it can support their work.
Specifically, the playbook goes into some detail about how to ascertain whether or not AI is appropriate for certain jobs or roles, and to explore how to use AI safely and responsibly.
10. There are positive and negative feelings about AI across the UK.
Government research suggests that there are lots of split opinions with regard to how AI could be used to support everyday life and the work that we do.
For example, over half of people surveyed believe that AI’s impact on making everyday life easier (such as to find information online and to order food and other products) is positive. Similarly, just over half of people believe AI’s intervention in healthcare is a good thing.
However, there’s a split when it comes to education support. 39% of people feel AI can positively impact educational resources, with 21% feeling negative about its influence. Most negativity appears to stem from worries about job opportunities, with 43% of people concerned that AI could restrict work available across the UK.
11. A lot of people are worried about losing jobs and creativity to AI.
Government research further suggests that people are worried about trusting AI to a broader extent than we do already. In particular, 45% of people outright believe that AI will take people’s work away – and 35% even believe that people’s problem-solving skills and creativity will suffer!
14% of people also believe that AI could lead to outcomes that might otherwise be perceived as unfair or unjust, with the same number also worried about its effects on the nation’s mental health.
Finally, around 23% of British people feel that AI could lead to a spike in cybercrime, while around 22% anticipate it being responsible for a greater spread of misinformation.
12. Deepfakes are on the rise.
AI is amazingly good at creating imagery and footage of people who already exist – which has, unfortunately, led to the rise of deepfakes, which are AI-generated images and videos of people who haven’t given consent to being filmed.
Deepfakes are pretty scary in concept – particularly as AI becomes more and more capable and efficient. Deepfake videos could lead to criminal manipulation, abuse imagery, fraud, or even reputational damage. In fact, the government predicts that we could see millions of deepfakes created and shared in the years to come.
The government is poised to fight back against deepfakes, particularly with regard to illegal material involving children, by using better datasets to analyse potential threats.
13. AI could boost the economy to a colossal extent.
Research by the McKinsey Institute suggests that the UK’s adoption and continued use of AI could lead to an impressive 22% boost to the national economy by the end of 2030. This is a net impact, taking into account gross revenue, implementation costs, and negative impacts from elsewhere.
14. There are lots of things that AI can do that people simply can’t!
One of the driving factors behind AI mania is the fact that machines can take on huge, complex tasks that would otherwise take humans a long time to learn and adapt to. For example, AI can process enormous datasets in relatively short spaces of time, which can help businesses and researchers save countless human hours and resources.
What’s more, AI systems can keep operating without a break – meaning they’ve helped businesses in the UK open up international services without having to employ people around the clock.
On top of this, AI is able to make split-second decisions without letting emotion or bias get in the way. For example, many people in the UK use investment apps with robo-advisors, which make buying and selling decisions for them without the emotional aspects. Even better, they can buy and sell when markets open and close, even when they’re asleep!
15. There are a few things that AI can’t do… yet.
Many people who are worried about AI taking over jobs and harming creativity might have valid long-term concerns, but in the here and now, AI as we know it is actually still pretty rudimentary!
For example, you can’t rely on AI to make reasoned decisions using common sense, or to understand individual contexts to an extent. In some cases, AI can’t be relied upon to make snap decisions when a project or case goes in an unexpected direction.
What’s more, again, you can’t rely on GenAI to create completely original works. It trains on derivative work, which has led to many creatives to raise concerns about copyright infringement.
So – if your work or industry are likely to be impacted by AI, don’t worry too much just yet. Now is the time to embrace AI and to adapt to it as best you can, because it’s probably here for good!
16. AI innovation is growing in the UK, too.
It’s not just our daily lives and work that are impacted by AI! In fact, there are plenty of businesses up and down the country that are actively innovating with machine learning, and are specifically developing tools and use models for people around the world to make use of.
According to a Data City report, there are more than 3,000 companies currently specialising in AI innovation and development, with company growth expected at around 8.8% on average. What’s more, there are at least130,000 people directly employed because of AI innovation – meaning that if you’re worried about machines taking all our jobs away, you can assuredly think again!
17. AI is set to get even more advanced!
If you thought AI was already impressive, potential innovations ahead could well blow your mind. It’s thought that the future of AI lies in creating more personal experiences, solving previously impossible problems, and allowing machines to train themselves! That all goes without saying that driverless cars are still on the horizon, too!
There’s also plenty of research and money behind developing interfaces and systems where people can work seamlessly together with AI – meaning total delegation might not be on the cards just yet.
FAQs About AI
What jobs can AI replace?
AI can hypothetically replace the need for some customer service activities, content creation, editing, and artistic pursuits. However, AI models are still limited at present, and human oversight is recommended both from safety and ethics standpoints!
Where will AI be in ten years from now?
In a decade, AI is likely to be even more integrated into our daily lives and work schedules. For example, we’re likely to have more efficient and effective healthcare diagnostics, more accurate financial planning, and vehicles that can potentially drive us from one place to another without the need for human support.
Is Siri a type of AI?
Yes, Siri – which is Apple’s landmark voice assistant – is a type of AI. Siri helps people search for things, make changes to calendars, activate certain services and products, and can even shop for people who don’t have time to browse online stores themselves. Along with the likes of Alexa, Siri has helped to pave the way for the current wave of AI.
Do you know any fun facts about the rise of AI? Share them in the comments below!
