Fear or optimism? What’s your take on AI?

Frontline Documentary - In the Age of AI 

Well that was a pretty disturbing 2 hours that I will never get back. "In the Age of AI," is a  two-hour PBS Frontline documentary released more than five years ago discussing how artificial intelligence is reshaping society. The movie highlights both optimism and the evils that can result from AI. As fast as AI is progressing it was surprising how much has already changed.

Key Notes from the Documentary:

• Global AI race, rivalry between the United States and China. 

• The transformative potential of AI. Experts highlight how self-learning algorithms can process vast amounts of information to solve complex problems, showcasing applications ranging from advanced medical diagnostics—such as predicting cancer development—to the creation of self-driving vehicles that could drastically reduce traffic accidents. (note some of these applications are already being in motion today just five years after the documentary)

• Scary warnings about the future of work. It illustrates how AI functions as a powerful new wave of automation that threatens both blue-collar jobs, like commercial trucking, and traditional white-collar professions. Some people are referring to this time as the 4th Industrial Revolution!

• Historically Productivity and income used to correlate but that has changed (history of industrial and technology advancements) 

• automation increases productivity but also reduces jobs 

• Robots/automation in work usually people think of manufacturing plants like cars and computers but think about everyday interactions like self-serve kiosks at Panera and self check-out is taking one of the biggest top occupations- cashier! Or clerical roles that are routine/processing/transferring data (HR, accounting)

• Workplace of the future will demand different skills

• Companies are looking for more efficiency 

• Automation is the substitution of capital for labor - this is a moral consideration for society

• The alarming rise of a "surveillance society". China’s state surveillance that uses cameras and facial recognition throughout its cities and towns - there is no privacy. In America there is also hidden "surveillance capitalism” with data algorithms for personal data and predicting behavior to buy more products

• Richest companies in the world are the companies that are employing leading AI researchers and scientist 

• The Belton Road Initiative- China’s grand scheme to project superiority- spread its technology and influence around the world; spending and investment campaign to build things in other countries using Chinese technology- more than 58 countries are already “plugged in “ to these shared digital systems

• AI is the ultimate tool of wealth creation - massive data on users and purchase info (Google. Amazon Facebook) algorithms 

• AI is a set of tools that helps you maximize an objective function - simply make more money

• “Surveillance Capitalism” - dark and startling; consolidating private human experience is prediction of human behavior of what you will do. What you will do now, what you will do soon and what you will do later 

• “Horrified if you knew how much companies know about you”

• The more they know the more power they have; Every sliver of info is valuable  

• technology now has embedded itself in our daily life

• In China “social stability” “scan the country” more than 600 million cameras, discouraged j-walking but really the state is watching; facial recognition, track and identify people, even identify you by how you walk; “Total surveillance state” - Feeds AI data system claims to identify people likely to predict people who are prone to terrorism or people who need  political reeducation - this is alarming to human rights groups

I have grown up using some sort of AI practically my entire life. I had an iPad in grade school. We used AI in 2nd grade to age  our selfies to 100 years old on the 100th day of school. I used 3d printing for a mini example of a tire for an 8th grade project and I’ve used apps to create music beats for my electric drums. I have had Snapchat and Instagram accounts for years - we used them for soccer team scheduling and updates, even a Facebook account and special app for my hearing aid. My family uses Life 360 which captures driving patterns, locations, places I go frequently and more. CLEAR travel app knows me by eye recognition biometrics. Who knew all these companies were collecting and analyzing data about me! Is this surveillance capitalism or even becoming a surveillance society?

The documentary paints a pretty grim picture. In the age of AI documentary it states this field is dominated by two superpowers China and U.S. - 

The belief that technology has become a tool of power and control. A huge concern is the Chinese government has backdoor access to all the data! AI can be viewed as the Age of Enlightenment if we seek the use for the good not evil. One quote that stuck with me “Never have the potential for human flourishing been higher or the stakes for failure been greater”. It really makes you think - Are you using social media or is social media using you! Are you using Google or is Google using you? If we continue to go in this direction with automation what happens to all the people? Focusing on the positive side of AI, Meta just released a new ad about “optimism”  - , call us optimists, call us dreamers, betting on people; and connecting the world. Instead of the fear of AI, Meta is promoting The future is for everyone watch the video here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1344461651205053 

My take on AI - I am going to focus on how much society can benefit from the breakthroughs in medical, business, scientific and other fields and pray the good guys maintain control and use it for good not for evil.

https://www.axios.com/2026/07/23/mark-zuckerberg-ai-optimism