Daily Show Divide on AI
Jon Stewart versus Trevor Noah on Artificial Intelligence
The video below features Jon Stewart, recently back on The Daily Show, discussing the "false promises of AI." Stewart critiques the ambitious claims about AI's capabilities made by tech leaders, highlighting a sentiment many share: the grand goals of using AI to cure cancer or fight climate change seem less immediate than the potential risk of AI-induced unemployment. This view reflects wider public skepticism towards the tech industry's often optimistic projections.
Interestingly, I came across a video series titled The Prompt, sponsored by Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab and hosted by Trevor Noah—The Daily Show's host until recently. It presents a starkly different perspective on AI. Noah's latest video demonstrates how AI can aid in the early detection of pancreatic cancer.
The disparity in the popularity of these videos is striking:
Noah’s video has garnered only 2.4k views after a month, while Stewart’s has attracted over 3.7 million views in just 6 days. This discrepancy could be largely attributed to The Daily Show channel's larger subscriber base, boosted by Stewart's return. However, the tone and content of these videos likely also influence their popularity.
Stewart criticizes the "false promises" of AI, like curing cancer, while Noah showcases interviews with doctors who are using AI to detect early-stage pancreatic cancer. From this angle, Stewart's segment seems like it is pandering to those harboring fear and anger towards AI.
While empathy is due for those whose livelihoods are threatened by AI advancements, it's crucial not to dismiss the significant strides in things like AI-driven cancer research. While the concerns over unemployment are understandable, the narrative of AI pessimism, or "doomerism," deserves scrutiny. AI holds the promise of saving lives and curing diseases. Despite the challenges of societal adaptation, the potential benefits of this technology for humanity's future should not be overlooked.