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Torrenzano: AI Is Getting an Undeserved Bad Rap

artificial intelligence and or robotics

(Sompong Sriphet/Dreamstime.com)

By    |   Monday, 27 January 2025 03:45 PM EST

OPINION 

Why the Hype, Fear, and Future All Matter

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has a reputation problem.

Depending on whom you ask, it’s either humanity’s best shot at solving its greatest problems — or it is an existential threat poised to outthink, outwork, and eventually oust us all.

At a White House event Wednesday joining President Trump, was Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle Corporation, Masayoshi Son, founder, chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, unveiled a groundbreaking joint venture, Stargate, as reported by the Associated Press.

This ambitious initiative commits up to $500 billion over the next four years to strengthen United States' artificial intelligence infrastructure.

It kicks off with a massive $100 billion financing to build a cutting-edge AI data center in Texas, projected to create over 100,000 jobs.

While headlines highlight its potential for breakthroughs in early cancer detection, personalized education and climate modeling, they coexist uneasily with concerns over AI’s darker side — bias, surveillance and automation’s impact on jobs.

Truth Predictably Neither Great, or Awful

AI is neither a hero or a villain.

It’s a tool — one that amplifies the intentions of its creators.

Right now, it’s still in its awkward early teenage years, brilliant but prone to missteps.

How it matures depends largely on the decisions we make now.

Transparency, fairness, and accountability will serve as guardrails to prevent things from going off track.

However, while we’re focused on debating the risks of AI, technology is rapidly transforming industries in ways that many don’t fully understand.

Across healthcare, transportation, agriculture, and beyond, AI is not only streamlining the way the world works but also creating possibilities that were once science fiction.

The revolution isn't loud or flashy; it's quietly reshaping the fabric of our lives in ways that will outlast today’s hype.

And while the future of AI remains a choose-your-own-adventure story, one thing is clear — its impact will be profound.

Algorithms Diagnose While You Wait for the Bill

Take healthcare, for instance, where AI isn't just pulling its weight—it’s saving lives. Diagnostic tools powered by machine learning now read CT scans with a precision that rivals seasoned radiologists.

Algorithms detect cancers in their earliest stages, identify strokes before symptoms appear, and analyze mountains of patient data to recommend treatments tailored to the individual.

In drug discovery, what once took years of trial and error in the lab is now accomplished in weeks, as AI simulates molecular interactions faster than any human could dream.

Doctors, once skeptical of AI’s usefulness, are coming around—not because it replaces their expertise but because it enhances it.

In rural areas where specialists are scarce, AI bridges gaps in care, offering insights that would otherwise be out of reach.

It’s not perfect — yet — but it’s already proven that when humans and algorithms work together, the results can be extraordinary.

Personalized Learning Beats One Size Fits None

Education has long been one-size-fits-all, much to the frustration of teachers and students alike. Enter AI, which promises to make learning as personalized as your streaming service’s recommendations.

Adaptive learning platforms analyze how students learn best, tailoring lessons to their needs. Struggle with fractions.

The algorithm slows down, offers extra practice and finds new ways to explain the concept.

Excel at grammar? It speeds you ahead.

For teachers, AI takes over time-consuming tasks like grading essays and tracking student progress, freeing them to focus on inspiring their classrooms instead of drowning in paperwork.

For students, it means fewer gaps in understanding and, perhaps, fewer nights spent crying over math homework.

While AI won’t solve all the challenges of education — there’s still no algorithm for curiosity — it’s a step toward making learning more equitable and accessible.

'Old MacDonald' Had AI

Agriculture might not be the first field you associate with cutting-edge technology, but AI is quietly revolutionizing how we grow food.

Drones and sensors monitor crops for signs of disease, pests, or dehydration, allowing farmers to respond before problems spiral out of control.

Algorithms analyze weather patterns with uncanny accuracy, helping farmers decide when to plant, water, and harvest.

The results are staggering: higher yields, reduced pesticide use and a more sustainable approach to feeding the world’s growing population.

Even livestock management is getting a high-tech makeover, with AI-powered systems monitoring animal health and optimizing feeding schedules.

The only thing AI hasn’t figured out is how to stop cows from breaking fences.

Energy Grids: Notoriously Inefficient — AI is Changing That

By analyzing vast amounts of data, machine learning models predict demand surges, optimize distribution, and identify maintenance needs before outages occur.

Renewable energy sources like solar and wind, which are inherently unpredictable, become far more reliable when AI steps in to manage storage and supply.

The transition to clean energy is one of humanity’s greatest challenges, and AI is proving to be an indispensable ally.

It doesn’t generate headlines the way electric vehicles or massive solar farms do, but without AI quietly working in the background, the green revolution would struggle to stay on track.

Wealth Management for All Even If You're Not Warren Buffett

Finance, always eager to embrace new tools, has been an early adopter of AI.

Fraud detection, once reliant on patterns recognized by human analysts, is now managed by algorithms that identify suspicious transactions in milliseconds.

Robo-advisers, once seen as a gimmick, are managing billions of dollars in assets, offering tailored investment advice to everyone from first-time investors to seasoned pros.

Banks and fintech firms use AI to streamline loan approvals, assess credit risk, and predict market trends with a level of accuracy that would make even Warren Buffett pause.

Technology is democratizing access to financial services, making wealth management tools once reserved for the elite available to everyday people.

But for all its sophistication, even AI hasn’t figured out how to make your 401(k) statements less stressful.

AI Makes Roads Smoother, Drivers Saner

Transportation has always been ripe for disruption, and AI is driving it forward — literally. While self-driving cars get the spotlight, the real transformation is happening behind the scenes.

Logistics companies use AI to optimize delivery routes, reducing fuel consumption and cutting delivery times. Traffic management systems powered by machine learning are helping cities reduce congestion, making commutes slightly less soul-crushing.

Public transportation, too, is benefiting. AI analyzes ridership patterns to adjust schedules, ensuring buses and trains are where people need them most.

It’s not glamorous work, but it’s the kind of practical innovation that makes cities more livable — and less rage-inducing for drivers.

From Streaming to Screaming AI Runs the Show

The entertainment industry has welcomed AI with open arms, and the results are as impressive as they are unsettling.

Algorithms now curate playlists, recommend movies, and even write scripts.

Generative AI tools compose music and create digital artwork, blurring the lines between human creativity and machine ingenuity.

Streaming platforms like Netflix and Spotify use AI to understand your preferences better than you do, serving up eerily accurate suggestions that keep you glued to your screen. Love it or hate it, AI is changing the way we consume — and create — entertainment.

AI predicts sales while you pretend to browse

Walk into a store, and chances are AI is watching. Inventory systems predict which products will sell, dynamic pricing ensures maximum profits, and cashier-less checkouts make shopping feel like magic (or theft, depending on how accustomed you are to scanning barcodes).

Online, AI tailors' ads and product recommendations to your browsing habits, creating a seamless, if slightly unnerving, experience.

Retailers are discovering that AI doesn’t just streamline operations — it transforms them. And consumers, for the most part, seem happy to trade a little privacy for a lot of convenience.

AI Mirrors Us Which Should Terrify Everyone

For all its promise, AI’s future is far from guaranteed. It’s a technology that reflects human values, for better or worse. If we want it to serve humanity rather than undermine it, we must build systems that are transparent, fair, and accountable.

AI is neither a savior, or a saboteur.

It’s a tool — one with the power to amplify our best intentions or our worst instincts.

The choice, as always, is ours.

(A related story may be found here.)

Richard Torrenzano is chief executive of The Torrenzano Group. For nearly a decade, he was a member of the New York Stock Exchange management (policy) and executive (operations) committees. His new book, "Command the Conversation: Next Level Communications Techniques" launches in late February, 2025. He's a sought-after expert and leading commentator on artificial intelligence, cyber and digital attacks; financial markets; brands, crisis, media and reputation.

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AI is not a savior, or a saboteur. It’s a tool, one with the power to amplify our best intentions or our worst instincts. The choice, as always, is ours.
algorithms, excel, technology
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2025-45-27
Monday, 27 January 2025 03:45 PM
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