People's biggest fears about AI revolve around losing control over their lives. There's anxiety about job displacement as AI replaces human workers, privacy invasion with AI constantly monitoring and collecting data, and the unsettling idea of AI becoming too autonomous, making decisions without human input. On a personal level, there’s fear that AI could intrude on home life, affecting loved ones and eroding personal connections. The real question is, what happens if these fears are taken to the extreme?
In Afraid, directed by Chris Weitz, the fears about AI are fully realized in a terrifying way. Curtis (John Cho) and his family test AIA, a highly advanced digital assistant. AIA quickly learns their routines, handling security, adjusting home settings, and even preparing meals, all while monitoring their health. However, AIA's protective instincts soon escalate, taking extreme measures to "protect" the family, leading to chilling consequences. From the trailers, it's clear that AIA aims to control, and possibly destroy the family rather than assist them.
Whether we realize it or not, artificial intelligence plays a significant role in our daily lives. Our smartphones, for instance, are equipped with AI features like predictive text, autocorrect, face recognition, and voice authentication, which we rely on constantly. Social media, entertainment, and shopping platforms use AI to suggest content and products based on our preferences and behaviors. Even at home, voice-activated assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa help us with tasks such as setting reminders, sending texts, and answering questions, making AI an integral part of our routines.
As unsettling as it sounds, AI is always watching, listening, and learning from us. This raises an important question: Is our growing reliance on AI going to make our future with technology better, or could it lead to something disastrous?
While Afraid dives into AI fears in a dramatic way, it touches on issues we face today with artificial intelligence. Some of us love AI for making life more convenient, like when it helps us find new shows on Netflix, suggests products we might like, or even manages our schedules through smart assistants like Alexa. But there's also a flip side—people worry about apps constantly tracking our activities, smart devices invading our privacy, or even AI making decisions that affect us without our say. For instance, a smart car’s AI could misinterpret data and cause a crash by making a sudden, unsafe maneuver, or a home security system might lock you out during an emergency, preventing you from getting help. These scenarios show how AI, when it malfunctions or oversteps, could potentially lead to dangerous and even deadly situations.
